Beauty from Ashes
by Starfire Grace
Summary: After one night of the biggest mistake of her life, Pan is pregnant. She is kicked out on the streets. Goten soon finds her and he ask if Bulma would take her in. With the love and support of her uncle and Bra and the friendship of a boy who cares more about her than the baby's father ever did, can Pan regain who she is after losing everything?
1. Chapter 1

**Beauty from Ashes**

**By**

**Starfire Grace**

***A few important things you should know***

**1. This story is rated M for foul language and sexual content so little kiddies stay away! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! **

**2. Just like in my other stories Pan, Bra, Goten and Trunks are all close in age. Pan and Bra being the same age sixteen, Goten is seventeen and Trunks is eighteen.**

**3. Just enjoy the story :D and please leave me a review of your comments and if anything needs improvement.**

*Chapter one: Is this really happening?*

Pan stared at the pale blue plus sign on the stick, wanting it to go away and wondering how anybody could call that a positive result. There was nothing positive about being sixteen and pregnant.

If you were all grown up and finding out you were having a baby, it would be the greatest news in the world. But Pan hadn't even graduated high school yet, let alone had a husband, house or a job.

Blinking back her tears, Pan continued to sit on the toilet, not even sure is she had the courage to ever leave her bathroom ever again.

When Pan closed her eyes, she could see herself perfectly in own little train wreck. Stuff like this just wasn't supposed to happen to girls like her.

Lined up on the counter of the bathroom sink, were the first six pregnancy tests all displaying the same maddening plus signs. Three more awaited in a brown paper bag by the side of the toilet not opened yet.

But Pan was beginning to realize that no matter how many times she took the test, the results were going to be the same.

Denial, it had kept her from losing her mind for the past couple of weeks, it was no longer a viable option.

Pan pulled up her jeans and stood at the counter glaring down at the evidence before her, she grabbed all seven sticks and snapped them in two, as if physically destroying the messenger could somehow destroy the horrible news that will change her life forever.

Finally Pan looked herself in the mirror and didn't even see a difference. Maybe the sticks had been wrong after all and it was her irregular period being a little more irregular than usual.

Pan was suddenly overwhelmed though with nausea and rushed for the toilet! She had barely avoided puking all over the bathroom floor. Even after there was nothing left in Pan's system, she was still vomiting.

Pan was just grateful her parents weren't home to hear her puking her guts out. Pan crawled back into her bedroom and lay in the fetal position in the middle of her room and on her fluffy multicolor rug. The room was filled with the smell of a leftover plate of food on Pan's desk and laundry detergent. The smells were threating Pan to go and throw up again. She wondered why they called it morning sickness, it was four thirty in the afternoon.

Pan's cell phone rang repeatedly, on the fifth time she finally gathered enough strength to reach her bed and grab her cell.

Looking at the caller ID it was Bra, "Hi Bra," Pan whispered.

"What wrong Pan? Where the hell have you been? You sound like you hell spit you back up." That was Bra, never the one for small take or beating around the bush.

"I've got a problem… no more like a disaster." As much as Pan didn't want to say it out loud, she felt like if she didn't tell someone she was going to explode. Ready fall under all the guilt and fear, she hoped telling Bra would lighten the load of it all. Maybe her best friend since babyhood could come up with a solution to this problem or maybe tell her the seven plus signs were just a mistake but Pan already knew they weren't.

"What'd you do? Wreck your dad's Mercedes? Your parents are gonna go nova on you!" Bra whistled into the phone. "Do you want to hide out at Capsule Corp for a while till your parents cool off?"

"I didn't wreck my dad's car. Though I really _wish _it was that." Pan longed for a problem that be undone by a trip to a body shop and a fresh coat of paint.

"Well then what's so bad? You're always getting straight AS, so it can't be your report card. Did you blow up the house with a Kamehameha Wave? You killed all the fish in Pazou Lake? You murdered your uncle?" Bra was trying to figure out what Pan could deem as a crisis.

"I think… I think I might be pregnant," Pan said bursting into tears.

There was a scream followed by Bra dropping her cell phone on her bedroom floor with a thud, "What?!... That's impossible Pan. Only people who have sex can get pregnant. We had a pact, no hooking up till we were in college. When did you change did your mind? Who'd you _do it_ with? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Not everything is about you Bra."

Whatever just answer the fucking damn questions. Who was it?" Bra asked as if integrating a suspect.

"It was Derrick." Looking back, Pan couldn't believe it herself. Going all the way on the third date was so not in her playbook.

"Derrick Warner? Derrick Warner the most popular guy at Orange Star High? That Derrick? No way! He doesn't even know people like us exist." Bra said referring to _people like us _as kids who actually studied and who looked back on their high school years as not the best years of their lives. "Who was it… really?"

"I knew would say that. It's why I didn't tell I was going out with Derrick."

"I don't believe you. Are you sure you didn't just imagine the whole thing? Maybe you just dreamed you had sex with Derrick. Maybe you're just bloated."

"I didn't imagine it Bra. I took seven pregnancy tests."

"I still don't believe it. Are we are talking about the same Derrick Warner? Derrick Marcus Warner, quarterback for the Orange Star Hawks?"

"There's only one, Bra. The day after school let out he asked if I wanted to go to the movies, and then we went out again, and on our third date it happened. It was my first time and I got pregnant."

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my best friend?" Bra shrieked. Pan was the second-to-last person she would have ever thought would go all the way with a boy (Bra being the last), and the last one dumb enough to get pregnant.

"Best friends don't keep secrets from one another, especially secrets the size of big fat pregnant bellies!"

"I didn't tell you because I'm embarrassed. It was such an idiotic thing to do, and I thought if I pretended it never happened, and I never told anybody, it would be like it hadn't." As Pan tried to explain her reasoning, she realized what a complete moron she was. This wasn't just some nightmare that was gonna go away if you ignored it long enough.

"Well that's one way to deal with it, I guess, unless, of course, you get yourself knocked up! Didn't you make him use a condom? What fuck were you thinking Pan?!" Bra practically screamed onto the phone.

She knew she should be more sensitive, it was too late for shoulda, coulda, woulda. Bra was just so frustrated with her friend's stupidly and the fact that she was left out of the loop for so long, that she wanted to strangle Pan. Scolding Pan would have do for now.

Teen pregnancy was for girls who got into trouble, not a girl with a perfect GPA who spent her spare time either studying her brains out to go to Princeton or sparring to become a saiyan warrior.

"I thought he did. He said he did. It was dark. I couldn't tell. Oh shit! I'm such a jackass! What do I do now?" shutting her eyes tight, rocking back and forth as she gripped her cell phone to the point of almost breaking it, Pan pleaded for a quick fix… or at least a painless death.

"Have you told lover boy what happened? It's _his_ responsibility. He has to step up." Bra was reeling, but she owed it to her best friend to stay calm and help her figure out how to get through this. Bra made a silent vow to herself to stay a virgin until at least she was twenty. No matter how great sex was supposed be, it couldn't be worth feeling like Pan sounded over the phone.

"Derrick's away for the summer. When he took me back home, he said he and his family were going to visit family in America and that they wouldn't be back till mid-September."

On the one hand Pan couldn't wait to tell Derrick that she was pregnant with his baby. Would he say that he loved her? That he would marry in a heartbeat and would he take care of her and junior?

Pan floated off to fantasyland for a second, envisioning a future married to the handsome, budding professional athlete who looked like a modal for one of those cologne ads. Dazzling green eyes, wavy sand blonde hair and a well-built body. They would have a perfect child and a perfect life, just bit sooner than Pan had thought or wanted.

But even as she was daydreaming, she knew that's not how things worked in real life. Truthfully, she was so humiliated by the whole thing that she couldn't imagine getting the words out even if he was around to tell him, which was stupid because what they'd done together in the back of his truck was way more embarrassing than talking about it.

"I hate to be the one to tell this Pan, but either your babydaddy lied you about his summer plans, or he's got an evil twin brother, cause I saw him at the beach the other day with a bunch of kids from school. Just because he looks like a movie star and all those girls want to jump him, doesn't mean he's a good person… in fact, it's usually just the opposite. The hotter a guy is, the more likely he's a scum sucking low life bastard who wouldn't give shit about anybody but himself."

As much as Bra liked being right about things, she hated having to tell her best friend that she made the worst mistake of her life with a guy who was nothing more than an empty box wrapped in fancy paper and tied with a nice shiny ribbon. Take away his beautiful packaging and all you would see was six feet of hair gel and half a can of Axe body spay.

"Not that I'm saying I told you so. Not that I'm saying if you'd told me what was going on from the very beginning I could've saved you from ruining your life, big time!"

No longer able to hold it in anymore, Pan let lose a tile wave of tears. In the back of her mind, she knew that three dates with a guy didn't make a relationship. She let herself get tangled up in his adorably messy hair that was always brushing off his forehead and getting lost in his gorgeous green eyes that made her feel like she wasn't biggest geek at Orange Star High. And it had been a setup; she realized a little too late, that Derrick could just add another name to his "I did her" list.

She knew that Derrick Warner was out of her league in every respect: a jock, the quarterback, the captain of the soccer team and voted hottest guy in Junior year.

When he asked her out, Pan was at once flattered and baffled. Able to choose from an array of more suitable girls from the diving team or the cheerleader squad, what could he possibly see in her? She was a benchwarmer for the girls' softball team whose major accomplishments were in the area of mathematics and not athletes. It was beauty and the beast, and she was the beast.

At first she thought Derrick was playing a joke on her, like one of those movies where a bunch of cool guys bet that one of them can't transform the class dweeb into the prom queen.

But when Derrick took her to the movies, he seemed genuinely interested in Pan as a person, just as she was, asking questions about her family and her future when she would been perfectly content to listen to him talk about himself as long as she just stare into that perfect face.

On top of that, he had behaved like perfect gentleman, opening doors for her, ordering for her, not even allowing her to pay for anything. Perhaps he was totally different person from his public persona, and with her he could be authentic not-to-cool-for-school self.

It had been too good to be true, and if she thought for at least for a second she would have figured it out, but Pan let herself get caught up in the moment.

Derrick was a member of the high school elite, the ruling class of Orange Star High, and Pan, not really part of the pauper class, she was the granddaughter Hercule Satan after all but she did fell somewhere in the line of the lower class.

Crossing class ranks rarely happened in friendship let alone boy-girl relationships.

It was the unwritten rule that nobilities didn't go slumming and the lower classes didn't try to up their status by associating with those above them in the hierarchy.

How could she forget the unbreakable rules of the high school jungle? How could she believe that the rules didn't apply to her? It was pure ignorance she realized, and she was being punished for it, in a really big way.

It wasn't like she was the ugliest girl in school but wasn't by far the prettiest. She was the tomboy, the girl in basketball jerseys, baggy jeans, high-tops, rocker gloves and was either wearing her favorite bandana or her cap to the side.

She was the goody-goody with the innocent looking face, not exactly a guy magnet. The fact that she was super smart put her on the geek squad and therefore was guy repellent.

But now she was questioning her own intelligence. How could some with a 2450 on SAT end up naked in the back of some sleazebag's truck? Seduced by a few well-rehearsed words whispered in an inexperienced girl's ear? Book smarts and street smarts were clearly two different things. Looking back on it, Pan would have traded a few hundred points on the test for some good old-fashion common sense.

"So what do I do now?" Pan stuttered through her tears, trying to catch her breath.

"It's simple, you get rid of it. How many weeks did you say you were?" Bra asked.

That was Bra always practical, never really emotional. She might look like her mother but she had the personality of her father. It shouldn't have surprised Pan that her friend's approach to this situation would be equally matter-of-fact.

"We did it on July fourth so I'm about six almost seven weeks in." This is exactly what Pan wanted from Bra wasn't it? A take charge attitude.

"Do you really think I should get rid of it?" Pan couldn't bring herself to say _abortion._

"Well dud! What else were you planning on doing? Spending the senior year blowing up like a balloon and popping out a mini-Derrick next spring? How's that gonna go over with Gohan and Videl? Something tells me they're not ready to be grandparents. But it would sure make a hell of a college essay though. What I did over summer vacation…"

"I don't know it's a baby, or it's gonna be. It didn't do anything wrong. Some people think it's murder to terminate a…. you know…."

Over this summer, Pan would have never thought she would be thinking about pregnancies, unwanted or otherwise. Pro-choice or pro-life were nothing more than slogans on bumper stickers on the backs of people's cars.

Not a million years did she ever think that those words would matter to her. Babies were for married people, like fancy kitchen ware and bathroom towels. It was just the way it was, she never even held a baby before, and now she was having one. Her life was out of whack; things just couldn't get any worse.

"You're well within the first trimester, so it shouldn't be a big deal to take care of this mess. And besides it's not even a baby yet. It's just a bean." Bra wasn't quite sure if she believed that herself but under the circumstances, it seemed like the best and helpful thing to say.

When Bra put it that way, it didn't sound so terrible. Unsure how Bra had become the expert of pregnancy, Pan nonetheless was grateful that it was her best friend who the one was taking the lead.

"I don't know what to do. What are my parents gonna say?" Pan's heart started racing at the thought of telling Gohan and Videl.

She didn't know how they were going to react. What if her father went biolistic like Krillin had told her he did back when he was kid fighting Cell. He'd probably blow her head off. Her mother would cry and break everything in the house trying to aim for Pan's head.

Breaking this news to a half saiyan father and a super human mother was far more freighting then having some tiny little bean growing somewhere deep inside her. She would rather tell her parents she flunked every subject including gym.

"What about them? Do you really want tell your saiyan father who has deep rage that could go off by news like this? Do you want to be murdered and buried in an unmarked grave? Or have you thought about your doctor mother who is pro-life and deliver's baby's for a living? Then you'll be stuck with it for life." Bra was astonished by her friend's naiveté.

"I guess you're right, but their my parents. Don't they have a right to know?"

"No they don't," Bra told her, "In a case like this, the less your parents know the better and if you don't want to spend the next eighteen years of your life staring at the third date mistake that ruined your life, you'd better keep your baby secret to yourself. We can handle this on our own, and then it will be like it never happened. Gohan and Videl don't have to know everything that goes on in your life just because they're your parents." Bra couldn't believe a girl like Pan could be so smart yet such a dumbass when it came to real life.

"I'm not sure if I can keep a big secret like this from them, what if they sense it's ki? And if I'm not gonna tell my parents then why should I tell Derrick?"

Bra tried to keep the annoyance out her voice as she spoke to Pan, "Do you have a few hundred dollars lying around somewhere for an abortion? I'm broke since I went over my allowance last week to buy a new series of manga and last time I checked you volunteer at the Satan City Library so I'm guessing you pockets are empty too. Derrick has to know because he's gonna pay for the doctor bill. Get it? But no one else has to be in on our dirty little secret."

"You're right about the money, I've got nothing." Pan's parents didn't think she ever needed an allowance because they provided everything for her and she wasn't allowed a job either because they wanted her to focus on her studies.

"But what if Derrick doesn't have the money? What if he wants to keep the baby?" she still couldn't shake the white picket fence fantasy with Derrick play the doting husband and father, even though she knew it could never be a reality.

"Really Pan? You believe a guy that think's with his dick is suddenly gonna turn into Father of the Year?" as harsh as Bra knew she was being, Bra wanted to knock some sense into Pan before she fell further down into abandon well.

"I guess, but I think I should still tell my parents. They'll know something's wrong. It'll all come out in the end, it always does. So I might as well get all over with."

Keeping a secret this major from her father and mother seemed impossible to Pan. Parents had a right to know everything about their kids' lives, didn't they? Their love for their only child would overcome anything, right? She was _their_ baby. Their love for her was unconditional. It had to be that way, didn't it?

"Fine but it's your funeral, Pan. But consider yourself warned. Life isn't _Little House on the Prairie_, and parents are regular people you know. Full of their own flaws, prejudices and lots of good old righteous anger. I just wouldn't expect too much from them if I were you. You're just gonna get hurt in the end."

Even as Bra pointed out the pitfalls that awaited Pan, she hoped with all her heart that she was wrong, but she had a bad feeling that her prediction was directly on its target.

"I hope you're wrong," Pan whispered, knowing deep inside that Bra was rarely wrong about anything, and feeling even more alone and confused than she had before she'd spilled her dark little secret.

"I hope so too," Bra whispered back, wiping away the tears that were now rolling down her own cheeks.

**Oh man I've never really written anything like this before. I think it's an interesting story so far, don't you? Tell me what you guys think till the next chapter, this is Starfire Grace saying peace out :D**


	2. Chapter 2

*Chapter two: A chat with Bra*

Waking up at eleven o clock the next morning, Pan pressed her hand against her stomach, expecting for a brief moment to feel her unexpected guest pushing back. Each day was one day closer to the end she hadn't figured out yet.

This uncertainty about what to do next was a sensation she wasn't used to.

Pan was the kind of person always had everything figured out.

She contemplated pulling the covers over her head and going back to sleep for the rest of the day. As agitated as she was, Pan was also exhausted and sleep was a welcome escape from her bulging new reality.

Her world had collapsed and there was no going back, no mattered how hard she cried or how many times she threw up, nothing was ever going to be the same again.

In the last few weeks, she felt as if she'd lived three lifetimes.

The ringtone sound effect on her phone roused her from her miserable reverie. Maybe Derrick was texting her to apologize. Maybe not. It was Bra. **Meet me at our fave café in West City – Bra.**

"Two coffees, please. Milk, no sugar and two strawberry bagels with nothing on them." Pan had been placing this same order for the past three years, since she and Bra had entered high school and decided that they were too old for chocolate milk.

"Make one decaf and one regular," Bra corrected. "Caffeine's not good for the baby," she whispered in Pan's ear.

"But…." Pan didn't understand why Bra was suddenly worried about the baby's health when she was pushing Pan to get rid of it as soon as possible.

"Just in case," Bra said.

Not at all sure that Pan had it in her to go through with the quick and dirty way out of her little problem, Bra thought it didn't hurt to play it safe. There was a baby in there somewhere, or there almost was.

The two girls sat on a bench in the park, drinking their coffee and eating their bagels, just as they had many time before, but as with everything else, today was different.

Everyone who passed by was either pregnant or pushing a stroller or holding hands with a kid.

There were little people everywhere, and they all seemed to be wailing, snot streaming out of their little noses. Pan wasn't sure whether she simply hadn't noticed those things before or was this just the beginning of the vast karmic joke that had become her life.

All the ironies of her situation would now be displayed before her at every opportunity. A wave of nausea washed over her and had to take several deep breaths, clenching her teeth until it passed.

"So?" Bra prompted, facing Pan, sitting with her feet tucked under her, as if waiting to hear the latest gossip.

"So what?" Pan knew what Bra was asking, but she wasn't sure she was ready to put it on the record yet, to describe all the lame brained things she had done that led to this horrible place.

"Aren't you going to tell me how it happened?" Bra asked.

Her curiosity was eating her up and she assumed that Pan would want to talk about it. Wasn't catharsis supposed to be good for the soul? Besides, there just had to be more this story than Pan suddenly wanting to live life on the fast lane.

"Well, the boy takes his boy part and puts it in the girl's girl part…" Pan couldn't help the smiling spreading across her face, but just barely.

She really did want to tell Bra about that night, but she was sure her friend would lose all respect for her, maybe even want nothing to do with her for so casually abandoning her dignity. At this moment, Pan wanted nothing to do with _herself._

"I'm glad you at least have the basics down. Now stop it. I want to know how he managed to cross the moat and stormed the castle. You're not one of those dimwitted, insecure girls who gets talked out of her clothes by the first guy who says she's beautiful and that nobody understands him," Bra said a bit impatient, "What made you decide that July forth was fucking opposite day?!"

Pan sighed, "It's simple Bra, I was a moron and I talked myself into having sex with him. That's what happened." Even though Bra was her closest friend in the whole world who knew almost ever secret Pan had ever carried, Pan still had enough pride to be ashamed of what she did.

"I can't say it was his fault. It's not like he held me down and forced me to have sex with him," Pan told Bra.

"You're not dropping it there Pan. You need to talk about this, now what made _him_ so special? Besides the obvious."

As hot as Derrick was, it still didn't make sense that Pan would just drop her all principles on the third date. Bra could never imagine being so desperate enough to get naked with some random guy and play the hanky-panky in the back of his truck, no matter how hot he was. Not that any guy had ever came close to asking and for three good reasons.

One was her brother, who was attending Orange Star High with her and was like a pit-bull if some scumbag even tried to approach his sister, two was her father. Vegeta had told her constantly that if she brought over any human boy home with her, he would blast his sorry ass to the afterlife. In Vegeta's eyes, no man was worthy of his little princess and three was Bra herself, she was a beautiful girl but most guy were just scared of her.

"Somehow I just felt different that night, like I was the last virgin in our class, and I was tired of being the good girl who never did anything wild in her life. I thought he liked me and that if I didn't do it then he would lose interest and that my life would change." It didn't make much sense to Pan either, now. But at the time it felt perfectly logical and right.

"Your life changed, alright. But that kind of thinking is _so_ not _you_ Pan." Bra placed her hand on Pan's forehead, feeling for a fever.

"I was tired of being a geek! Haven't you ever felt that way?" Pan assumed Bra considered herself a nerd too since she was had inherited both her parents intelligence and a guy never asked her out. If you did really well in school and were lousy at sports, what other label was there? But geek.

"No I've never felt that way. Just because were smart than pretty much everybody Pan, doesn't mean we're geeks. I resent that." Bra crossed her arms defensively.

Intelligence was a gift not a curse, and Bra had the foresight to understand that in ten years the head cheerleader who mocked bulled and would ignore her now, would probably be answering the telephone and making copies at the law firm where Bra would be up-and-coming young associate with a window office and a Porsche.

High school was just a brief layover before real life started. "Someday you, me, my brother and Goten are gonna be running the world while all those idiots who ruled the school and mocked kids like us, are going to be working minimum wage jobs and flipping through their yearbooks, dreaming about the good old days."

"I know you're, but it's hard to think about life so far in the future. When he looked at me, I could see myself as important right now. It was stupid reason to give it up, but it's the truth."

"But in your heart you knew it was a loud of bullshit, because otherwise you would have told me about your pretend love affair the day he asked you out. He scammed you and then you scammed yourself."

As much as Pan knew deserved to have Bra tear her a new one, it was hard to listen.

"I guess so, but it didn't register when I was in the middle of it, when he was unhooking my bra."

Bra snorted, "That's ridiculous. A sudden urge of uncontrollable horniness? Isn't that guy thing?

"I know – it makes no sense. But what difference does it make why I did it at this point? I've still got this baby inside me, my parents will hate me, and I still want to jump off a cliff… like it'll do anything though."

"Because I think you'll feel better if you talk about it. Besides, I'm your best friend and I need to know so I don't get talked into the same shit storm by some guy who knows exactly where to put his figure."

Both Pan and Bra knew there was danger of that happening anytime soon. Bra picked up Pan's hand and held it to her own chest, whispering, "And don't say you wanna die, ever. You can't leave me here all alone to finish high school without you."

_Thank you Dende for Bra,_Pan thought as she squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tear that were threating to fall down her cheeks. Was it just the side effect of her hormones working overtime, or was her life just so overwhelming?

"Alright, I'll talk about it… but no judging, okay? At least not out load," Pan told her best friend.

"I won't say a word, I promise to keep all my rude comments to myself," Bra said and crossed her heart and blew a kiss to Pan.

"Everything about him was completely normal and _so_ nice. I really thought he liked me. I can see you rolling your eyes Bra." Pan playfully punched Bra's arm, almost spilling her coffee.

"He kissed me goodnight both times and that was all. He didn't try anything else." Pan paused and looked over at Bra who sat by her expressionless. "Don't you have anything to say yet?"

"You just told me to keep my big mouth shut, remember? I was following you orders," Bra told her.

"This isn't working for me. You've always got something to say, and when you don't, it feels like you're not listening. Give me your comments so far." Pan braced herself for the lecture of falling for cheesy line.

"Fine. It sounds like he was behaving himself… until he wasn't. even sexual predators can have good manners. Did he kiss with tongue?" Bra was kidding about getting all details.

Pan blushed and made a face, "Not on the first date, but on the second he did. Is that significant? If I'd kept my lips together, maybe I wouldn't be in this fix?"

"No don't be silly. I was just curious, I assumed he was a good kisser. Anybody who looks as good looking as Derrick, has to be blessed with talented lip as well. It's usually a package deal." Bra said.

"Unbelievably good," Pan whispered and unconsciously licked her lips as she remembered his tongue explored her mouth. Her entire body felt like it was going to explode from that kiss.

She had never known such a sensation ever existed, and now she was regretting that she had felt it with a guy like Derrick. How amazing would it have been to discover that sensation with a guy who thought of her more than a place to park his junk for five minutes.

"That good huh?" Bra asked, but never having experienced that sensation herself, Bra was still skeptical.

It was nearly impossible to imagine how a little lump of flesh covered with tiny bumps could be that powerful. And in an elaborate rationalization to protect her own hulking ego from the lack of male interest, Bra had decided that all high school guys were drooling morons who didn't deserve to put their tongues anywhere near hers.

"Two dates, that pretty much rated K, K+ at the most. I don't know why date number three went straight to M." Pan worried that she had somehow unintentionally communicated to him that she wanted more, and he was simply accommodating her.

Honestly, she could hardly remember the sequence of events on that fateful evening.

"They say the third times the charm," Bra said. "So go on what did you guys do on the third date?"

"We went to Tony's Pizzeria and then we took a drive down the dirt road towards Orange Star Lake." It had started out so wholesome. Diet Coke and pizza. Even though she loved onions and jalapeños, Pan had ordered just a cheese pizza, hoping that there would be lots of kissing after dinner.

Looking back, she probably should have ordered the onions and jalapeños – The natural birth control.

"The only thing I know about Orange Star Lake is, that's where people go to have sex in their cars. It's common knowledge. I'd guess that's where you took the wrong turn…as it were. Not that's an excuse, but maybe Derrick knew where you were going and knew what you were doing."

"I didn't know that was where everyone went to have sex. I mean, I knew going to mess around, but I wasn't thinking of going all the way until we were in the middle of it. How was I supposed to know that when Derrick turned left by the lake, he thought I knew that he… shit!"

"You're telling me girl, you shitted it up. What kind of stupid are you? Are you telling me it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, like chocolate, vanilla, or full-on sex, please? Really?" Bra said rolling her eyes.

"Stop being all judgy and preachy. It's not helping Bra." Maybe all this therapeutic sharing wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Fine, I'm sorry. Go on," Bra said and pretended to zip her mouth shut.

"We parked and we started making out. He was kissing my lips, but I could feel it in my toes, you know?"

"No I don't know, but don't that let that stop you. Go on."

Maybe she shouldn't be so judgmental. Maybe if some guy stuck her gifted tongue down _her_ throat, Bra would also unceremoniously part ways with sixteen years of common sense. Not that was likely to be an issue any time soon.

Her one and only make-out session had been courtesy of Nicholas Armstrong – his name said it all. It had been like bury her face in a plate of sushi.

For that ten minutes, an eternity, that it had lasted, all Bra could think about how soon she could escape and wash Nicholas' salvia off her face.

Comparing her own experience to Pan's was like comparing a root canal to a day at the spa.

"He took off his shirt, and he took off mine, and we kissed for a really long time and then he slipped his hand in my pants. I don't know what he did, but it was incredible. He said he wanted me."

In the end, Pan realized, it had all been about feeling wanted. How pitiful was that? Sipping her decaf, which tasted flat and bitter, Pan waited for Bra's harsh critique.

"Well, no one's ever kissed me like that, or touched my vagina. So I can't really speak from experience. Sex feels great, I get it. But you knew you it was risky. And you certainly aren't, or I should say, _weren't_ the only one who'd been missing out."

"Correction, the stuff before the sex felt great. The actual sex hurt. And as far as the risk, I didn't think about condoms not being a hundred percent effective. They talk have safe sex with condoms, but apparently that's not even remotely true."

"Didn't your mother ever explain any of that to you, I don't remember what they taught us in sex-ed," Bra said.

"Are you kidding? my mom doesn't even say the word _sex._" Pan wondered if Videl really believed if you didn't say it out load, it wouldn't happen.

"Okay how about Gohan? Hasn't he ever given you that talk?" Bra asked.

Pan started laughing a little, "Yeah right, daddy's talk would have been don't date till your thirty and don't do it till your fifty. And I don't remember a single thing from health class. It was a million years ago."

"I can't believe I convinced myself that hooking up was the key to my happiness," Pan said as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Pan, I had no idea you were that unhappy. Why didn't you tell me?" A little hurt by the knowledge that Pan had kept this from, Bra resisted the urge to chastise her. The last thing Pan needed at this moment was more criticism.

"What could _you_ have done about it?" Pan asked.

Friends were supposed to share all their feelings, good and bad, but Pan had been embarrassed in her misery. Really, what did she have to be depressed about? Loving parents, no money worries, perfect grades. _Now _she felt guilty for being dissatisfied with her cushy life. Now she wished she had confided in Bra. Talking to someone who had been her best friend for more than a decade was way more comforting then having nearly anonymous sex in the back of someone's truck.

"I don't know, but I'm sure I would have come up with something better, something that wouldn't end with you pushing a baby out of your vagina in nine months," Bra said.

"Yuck, but you're right. I should have come to you first. Lesson learned… the hard way." Throwing her arms around Bra, Pan held tight. "I love you, so much."

"Me too."

A double stroller rolled by, two babies screaming while the mother chatted away on her cell phone, ignoring the crisis taking place underneath the stroller's canopy. Even though Pan knew nothing about infants, she wanted to jump up and do something to make them stop crying, not that she had any idea what that something was.

"What am I going to do? I'm not ready for this," Pan moaned, her voice drowned out by the chorus of hungry, wet needy human life.

**Next chapter Pan's going to tell her parents about the little guest renting a place inside her for the next nine months *Shudders!* **


	3. Chapter 3

**After I finished writing chapter two I went straight to writing chapter three and I gotta say I'm winded out and I got a little of a headache. I guess that's what happens when you write two chaps in a row and are puppy sitting as well... anyway enjoy the chapter**

*Chapter 3: Pan tells Gohan and Videl*

Bra voice was load over the phone. "Your little time bomb is ticking away in there. If you're gonna tell them, you need to do it soon. It's been two weeks since you've known for sure, it's not going to get any easier the longer you wait. Your options don't get any better as the bean gets bigger. You're eight weeks now."

It was easy for Bra to have all the answers. _Her _brain wasn't foggy with pregnancy hormones and she wasn't the one who was stepping up to the guillotine.

"Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to tell them – but every time I open my mouth, it seems like the wrong moment." Not an hour went by that Pan didn't calculate how far along she was, and how much harder it was going to be to make a decision with every passing day.

"There isn't going to be a right moment, Pan, ever. You just have to get it out – it's like throwing up. You're an expert on that these days. Based on that alone, I'm surprised they haven't figured it out already." Bra made a retching noise to illustrate.

"I've gotten to a point where I can puke silently and you know my folks. They're pretty clueless. But you're right. I'm running out of time."

_This is a disaster beyond disasters to say the least, _Pan thought. Almost, but quiet not, Pan smiled at the irony of it all.

Her father the science professor at Orange Star University. Loved by all his students and fellow professors. Her mother the beloved doctor at Satan City Hospital. With one word, Pan was going turn her parents' world up-side-down.

Could she get away with feigning total ignorance as to how she ended up in this condition? Was there any way Gohan and Videl would buy a twenty-first-century immaculate conception? Although she doubted it, Pan was just that desperate to resort to such a fraud. The alternative, to tell them the truth, was an act of bravery she didn't think she had the guts for.

"Are you okay? You look pale, honey." Pan's mother briefly rested her hand on Pan's forehead. "No, no temperature. I hope you're not coming down with something right before school starts."

"No mama. I'm not sick." If she didn't say something soon, Pan was sure her body would say it for her. There wasn't much room on her small frame to hide anything, and although she might have been imagining it, she was certain her stomach was starting to bulge. "But I do want talk to you about something. Maybe tonight, after you get home from work."

"Sounds important. College stuff? Do you want to talk to Daddy, too?"

Having raised a good girl with values, Videl couldn't contemplate her only child getting into trouble. In her mind, a serious talk could only be about some academic decision, perhaps a change in the college list or a desire to take the SAT again, in pursuit of that elusive 2450.

One more year, Videl mused, and her only child would be off to college. The time had passed too quickly. As she climbed into her car and drove off to the hospital, she smiled feeling like she and Gohan had raised their daughter right and couldn't really relate to the other parents on the staff who said that the teen years were so difficult.

After the last of the dinner dishes were dried and returned to the cupboard, Pan hung up the linen towel and retreated to her bedroom. In spite of earlier determination to come clean to her parents, her nerve had once again failed her, and she decided to postpone her confession for yet another day… until the knock the door.

"Panny, your mother said you wanted to talk about something?" her father stood there, sipping from a steaming mug of coffee. "Do you want to go over your essay for common app? Get your stuff and come out to the living room." Gohan left leaving Pan there standing and her ponding in her chest.

College and essays had been the last thing on her mind the past few weeks. Now she was going have to tell them how their only child had lost her innocence to someone she barely knew, but had the audacity (they would never see it as just incredibly bad luck or a fleeting lapse of reason) to get pregnant.

Heart thudding mercilessly against her ribcage, Pan shuffled towards the living room and the inquisition that awaited her. Perhaps the adrenaline that was flooding her system would bring on a miscarriage or a heart attack. Either one would do.

She stepped into the living room where her parents were sitting in their favorite chairs by the fireplace.

"So kiddo, what's up? Your mother and I know you've probably put together something good enough for the _New Yorker._" Her father smiled up at her eagerly. "Are you reciting from memory?" asked, noting that Pan had brought no sheets of paper, no laptop. They had no idea that a meteor was about to crash land into their little oasis.

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Speaking slowly in an effort to control the quaver in her voice, Pan was sure she must sound drugged.

Wishing she had rehearsed exactly what she was going to say, Pan didn't think she could actually get the words out. Pan's parents had never discussed sex with her, convinced that ignorance was bliss and that their child was not one of those girls who would ever be stupid enough or reckless enough to get pregnant.

They were good parents that raised their daughter to be a responsible young woman. Kissing, maybe, but not much beyond that, they were certain. Not _their _daughter. _Their _daughter knew better.

"What's up?" her mother asked. "Are you _sure_ you're not ill? You're acting kind of strangely."

Planting her feet firmly, Pan took a deep breath. Uncertain what was going to come out of her mouth, she would either tell them she was pregnant or vomit all over their shoes.

"Mama, daddy, I did something bad, and I don't know what I was thinking, and I'm sorry, but please…." Stars danced in front of her eyes and she sank to the floor. She started breathing slowly as the tear began to pour.

"What did you do?" The way her mother asked, Pan knew that she had already figured it out, but her father was bewildered, looking first at his daughter and then at his wife, eyes wide. Men were so clueless.

"I'm pregnant." She had said it, and the word hadn't caught in her throat as she had feared. It had been surprisingly easy in the end.

A single gasp from her mother and the crash of her father's cup breaking on the living room floor.

"You're what?! That's impossible!" Her father sounded just like Bra had. Apparently you didn't look any different after you lost you virginity, because her father was clearly stunned by the news. Gohan could not believe his sixteen-year-old daughter did the nasty with some filthy boy.

But Pan's mother was less trusting, her voice was like steel – all business. She was already in damage control mode. "How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks," Pan whispered, chin down, not wanting to see the disappointment in her mother's eyes.

"Eight weeks," her mother echoed. "Nice of you to share this little tidbit with us. What were you waiting for?!" Videl almost screamed.

Now that she had told them the worst, she could be honest with them. Looking up at her parents, her eyes glistening with tears, Pan blinked twice and said simply, "I was afraid."

"Afraid? You should have been afraid eight weeks ago, before you let some boy…." Gohan couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "What the fuck were you thinking?!" Pan gulped. She had never heard her father say _fuck_ before.

"I know, I was afraid then too, but I was just, and he…." There were no words to explain to her parents the feeling that washed over her body when Derrick had touched her and whispered in her ear how he'd never met anyone like her, how perfect they were for each other. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his face hovering above hers. And even if she could somehow describe the situation, it wouldn't matter much.

"So who is this _he?_ How the fuck could you let some reprobate anywhere near you when you know how we feel about such things?" now that her father found his new word, he seem to enjoy it, how the hard _k_ sound made Videl wince.

"Gohan, I don't think we need to wade in the gutter just because our daughter has chosen togo for a swim there. That language is completely unnecessary… and beneath you." Videl's lips were pursed, and she glared down at Pan. "But it _would _be nice to know what kind of garbage you've been consorting with, Pan."

"His name is Derrick Warner. We only went out a few times. We just did it once. I thought we were being careful. I don't know what happened. He used a condom, but…."

The words tumbled out Pan's mouth, her face turning red as she said the word _condom_ in front of her parents. She realized as the words petered out that no explanation on earth would suffice. Her parents were likely aware that condoms were only about ninety percent effective, a statistic that had been far from her consciousness when Derrick slipped his hand inside her jeans in the back of his truck.

"The only way to be careful is not to let some teenage playboy climb all over you. _Where_ did this happen? Not in this house, I hope." Gohan raised his hand and Pan flinched, afraid he was going to hit her, but instead he swatted at a bug only he could see. If he had slapped her, she wouldn't have been surprised – he was that angry. "Like two animals!"

"We did it in the back of his car, down by Orange Star Lake." Doing it in the back of a car was both skanky _and_ clichéd. But as horrible as it was to regurgitate all of these details for her parents, Pan thought that by confessing she could somehow repair a tiny bit of the trust she had shredded. If she came clean, she could prove she was worthy of being their daughter again.

"For such a smart girl, you certainly are proving to be pretty stupid when it comes to life. This is not how raised you. I expected lot more from _my_ daughter." Her father's voice suddenly sounded detached as if he were talking to a total stranger.

As her father, Gohan knew he had no responsibility here. Educating a daughter about the hazards of dating and premarital sex fell squarely under the purview of maternal responsibility. Fathers brought home a regular paycheck, killed spiders and took out the garbage. The other stuff was for women to handle.

His rage cut through her, splitting her heart in two. "I know Daddy, and I don't know what I was thinking."

That wasn't true, she remembered exactly what she was thinking as Derrick slipped his hand inside her panties.

_I don't know him well enough to be doing this, but it feels good, and everybody else is doing it, and if we're careful, nothing will happen, and if I don't do this, he won't like me anymore, but if I do it with him, he'll be my boyfriend and he'll love me, and I won't be a weirdo anymore._

"And what do you and this Derrick person propose to do about it?" her parents were taking turns interrogating her, but neither offered up even a modicum of sympathy or understanding. They weren't doing the good cop/bad cop thing; they were both bad cops.

"I haven't told him yet. I thought he was away for the summer, but he's here. I'm going to tell him tomorrow. I wanted to tell you first. I don't know what to do next." That was the truth, and that was why she had wanted to tell her parents. They would know how to handle this. They would make it right again – that was what parents were supposed to do. "I want you to help me figure out what to do. Please?"

Gohan grunted, and Pan could just barely see make out his face through the tears that were partly blinding her vision. His lips were clamped tight shut, almost disappearing inside his mouth, and his fists clenched into balls at his sides. Turning to her mother, he said in a monotone, "Videl, I'm done. Take care of this. I don't want to hear another word about it!" Saying nothing to Pan, avoiding her eyes, brushing past her hand as she reached out to touch him, he stormed upstairs and slammed the door to his office no likely pulling the doorknob off in his anger and Pan could clearly hear the sounds of him throwing thing against the wall.

"Mama, I'm sorry. I know it was stupid. I made a terrible mistake. Please forgive me," Pan whimpered as she crawled across the floor to where her mother was sitting in her chair.

Craving some sign that although she may not be forgiven – Pan knew that would probably take years – she was still loved, Pan reached for her mother's hand, tried to rest her head on her mother's lap. But Videl pulled her hand away, crossed her legs, and stared at the ceiling.

"Mommy, please, I need you." Pan was begging for what she felt in her heart was her right, in spite of what she done, but it was no use. A wall had been erected between them, and no amount of pleading would be enough to tear it down, or carve a tiny doorway.

Although her mother was less than a foot away from her, Pan had never felt more alone.

"You should have thought of that before. After all we've sacrificed for you, you behave like a common piece of trash. What will your grandparents think of this? If I'd known this is how it was going to turn out, I never would've had a child in the first place."

Her mother's words cut Pan to the core, she never felt so hurt in her life. It was far more painful than what her father had said to her.

She expected her parents to be angry, but she anticipated total rejection, a total denunciation of her life up to this point. When she looked up at Videl, it was not disappointment that she saw in her eyes, but stone-cold hate.

Bra had been right all along about not telling her parents, but there was no way to undo this now. Her mother regretted Pan's very existence. As furious as Videl was, Pan didn't want to believe that their relationship was really that fragile.

"Is he that good-looking boy with the blonde hair and green eyes you went out with a couple of times at the beginning of the summer?" Videl asked as she rubbed at her throbbing temples in vain.

"Yes."

A woman would have to be blind not to notice all of Derrick's outstanding qualities. Even her mother, seething with anger at what she saw as adolescent defiance, could recall the extraordinary features of Pan's fellow gutter rat. Had Derrick been less physically attractive, less magnetic, would she be in this situation now?

She recalled something her grandmother had told back when she was thirteen, something about not falling for a sharp haircut. At the time, Pan had just nodded at yet another of her grandma Chichi's outdated aphorisms, which had made no sense to her. Now Chichi's warning words echoed in her ears.

Derrick in all his Abercrombie & Fitch poster glory, was nothing more than a sharp haircut.

**Next chapter Pan confronts Derrick and tells him about the baby.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for the reviews they really made my day :D and yes I know it was quite a shock about Gohan and Videl's reactions, I really OOCed them LOLs!**

**Okay everyone this is where you can finally meet the scumbag who seduced Pan you can all hate him to your heart's content, enjoy the chapter.**

*Chapter 4: Derrick you're a father*

Each hour seemed to simultaneously drag on forever and pass in the blink of an eye. If only Pan could stop time or speed it up, or better yet, go back to the moment in the back of the truck, right before Derrick unzipped his jeans and Pan's brain ceded control to her body.

Standing naked in her bathroom, staring at her stomach in the mirror, wrapping a tape measurer around her waist to see if she had grown any since the last time she checked, she knew it was a waste of time but she couldn't help herself.

Now that she knew Derrick was in America, Pan had no excuse not tell him about the little souvenir from their third and last date. How would she tell this guy she hardly knew that ten minutes of fumbling in the back of his truck had resulted in a potential lifelong connection between them? There were no words.

Bra text was informative and unwelcomed. **He's on the lake with some chick, on one of the floating docks. Go get him!**

**Now? How do I get him alone? What do I say? **Pan texted back.

Thanks to Bra, Pan didn't have the coward's luxury of claiming she didn't know where he was. In eight weeks since she'd last seen him, Derrick had become like someone from another planet – the popular planet – and Pan couldn't imagine how she could speak to him, let alone tell him what she needed to him.

**Tell him you got a baby on board and you need $500 for Dr.**

Pan knew that Derrick had a right to about the thing, the baby. Maybe he had intended to go to the US, but somehow his plans fell through. Maybe he wasn't the sleazy guy she now thought he was. Maybe he hadn't called her because he lost her number, or he was too busy working at the local homeless shelter which was nowhere near the lake where Bra spotted him. Maybe he would be gentle and supportive, would help her through this, whatever she ended up doing. Maybe it would all work out for her. Maybe he was secretly in love with her. Maybe the chick on the lake with him was his cousin. Maybe he would propose on the floating dock in the middle of Orange Star Lake. And maybe pigs could fly.

**$500?** Pan texted.

**That's how much it costs on average. **Bra texted her. Not one to leave anything to chance, Bra researched the whole abortion process on the internet. With the widespread availability of procedure, in spite of all well-publicized opposition, it was clear that Pan was not alone in her moment of weakness.

**I think I'm going to puke! I can't do it! **Pan figuresclumsily texted back.

**Man up, woman! I'll meet you at the south landing in fifteen minutes. Wear your bathing suit.**

Bra realized that her friend needed to be held up and pushed forward, and there was no one else to do it. In forty hours since Pan had broken the news to her parents, they had not spoken a word to her. Bra had predicted Gohan and Videl would react badly – what else could you expect from any parent? But not she would have guessed that they would be so coldhearted that they would shut Pan out with a total silent treatment right when she needed the most. So much for parents will love you no matter what. Bra couldn't believe Gohan and Videl, of all people, would be so cruel.

**Bathing suit?! Don't make it worse.**

**He's in the water. You're gonna have to swim for it. Don't worry. You don't show yet.**

After she put her phone in her bag, Bra floated in the water, keeping an eye on her quarry. There was no way she was going to let Derrick Warner, a.k.a. Scum of the Earth get away with this.

If Pan couldn't talk Derrick into doing the right thing and making him pay for it, Bra was ready to castrate him with the pocket knife she had on her keychain.

Looking at her watch, she swam back to shore to meet Pan and give the last-minute pep talk. Pan's car was already there, under the tree at one end of the lot. When Bra walked up the car, Pan's forehead was resting on the steering wheel.

The windows were all closed in spite of the August heat, and for second Bra wondered if Pan was breathing. Frightened, she tapped frantically on the glass, and Pan lifted her head startled.

Opening the car door, Pan said, "I'm sorry. I was trying to psych myself up. But I think I ended up hyperventilating."

"You'll be fine once you confront him." Bra didn't believe that for a second, but what else could she say? Telling Pan this was only the beginning of her nightmare might be more accurate assessment, but it would definitely not encourage her friend to march into the water. At the moment, Pan needed all the help she could get, which included lying.

"I haven't seen him since the night we…." Pan's trailed off.

"Don't think about that. Just give him the facts. Try not to cry. Ask him for the money. Arrange a time to get it from, and let's move on. The sooner you talk to him, the sooner you can get him, every little piece of him, out of your life." At that moment, the only thing Bra offered was a confident voice and her anal-retentive organizational skills.

"If you see me flailing my around out to the dock, promise me you'll let me drown." Pan was only half-joking.

"As your best friend in whole wide world, I promise to let you go to your water grave." Bra held her hand out and two girls shared a pinky swear. After giving Pan a kiss on the forehead, Bra gave Pan a swat on the butt, "Now scoot. Get it over with."

With the late summer sun glinting off the water was like a spotlight highlighting her mortification. There was no place to hide, and she felt certain that all the kids sunbathing themselves on the patch of rocky beach could see inside her to that tiny bean that was growing larger every minute, every hour.

Feeling vulnerable and fat in her skintight speedo, Pan waded into the cool, clear water, no breeze ruffled the lake, leaving the surface like a sheet of smoky glass, and Pan cut cleanly through it as she swam towards the floating dock, wishing sharks inhabited lakes and that one would appear and devour her—anything to avoid what came next, which she knew was ridiculous, because how could she be afraid to talk to someone who had already seen her naked, been inside her, and how could she be afraid when the scariest thing in the world had already happened?

Five yard short of the floating dock Pan treaded water, watching Derrick and some girl wearing a bikini that consisted of a few strings and four impossibly tiny triangles of fabric. They were passing a joint back and forth. Derrick inhaled deeply, and then leaned over to the girl, blowing the smoke directly into her mouth.

They both burst out laughing, collapsing on each other, as if short gunning were the funniest thing in the world.

Suddenly Pan could really see through the sparkling shell that had shone so brightly two months ago, obscuring her ability to see who he really was. Disaster had given her clarity, and now she marveled at how she could have been into him.

Yes, he did have the most incredible body, every muscle perfectly outlined under flawless skin, and his face belonged on the cover of a magazine, but was Pan really so one-dimensional that she would mortgage her entire future just to get next to that?

She would never have thought so—she still didn't think so, but what other explanation was there? But this wasn't the moment for a serious introspection; Pan's legs were getting tired, and there was no time for cold feet.

The countdown clock was ticking, and there was no timeouts in this particular game. Putting her head down, Pan paddled herself the last few feet and grabbed the slippery wood, pulling herself up so that her head was visible over the edge.

"Hey Derrick," she called out, sucking in her stomach even though she was still in the water.

"You want some?" Derrick looked in her general direction and flashed his even white teeth. Holding out a half-smoked joint.

For a second he did know who it was, his pot-fuzzy brain moving in slow motion, trying to remember. Oh yeah, Girl Number Seventeen, Pan, who reminded him of a little porcelain angel his mother always put on top of the Christmas tree. She was so cute, so innocent.

She was like a warm peach; she had been so fresh, so ripe, and so ready to be devoured. Those jeans painted in on—she was asking for it, and he had simply obliged.

_What the fuck does she want now?_he wondered. Maybe he could convince her to do a three-way, but even as the fantasy started to take shape in his mind, he realized it could never happen—she was too much of a prude.

Son Pan was his seventeenth. If he kept this pace up, he would easily reach his arbitrarily chosen goal number of twenty-one before he graduated. He knew his square jaw and his perfect proportion were the result of a lucky draw from the gene pool, but his way with the ladies wasn't only attributable to his physical beauty.

It was hard work; it took skill and patience. Coasting on natural ability was egotistical and didn't guarantee success. Piles of books had been published on the subject: how to touch a girl in just the right place in just the right way to make her beg for it.

It was like teaching himself to place the ball in the corner of the soccer net—not too hard, not too soft, right between the goalie's outstretched hands—after lots of study and plenty of practice, he had it down.

Banging a girl was no different. Most teenage guys would probably admit to wanting to screw as many girls as possible, and who cared weather _they_ enjoyed it—coming was for guys.

He knew he was unique in his desire to make the girl think it was her idea as much as his. For this talent and dedication, his friends had dubbed him the Pussy Whisperer.

Through his pot fog, Derrick thought back to the moment when he'd first slipped his hand inside Pan's jeans, wiggling his index finger just the right way, feeling how warm and wet and ready she was. That moment, right before they did it, when he could feel how much she wanted him—that part was better than the actual sex… almost, but not quite.

Maybe he could convince Pan to let him back in; the second time would be way better for her than the first. She'd been so uptight, and he had to admit he'd been too focused on his own enjoyment. This time he would make sure she came.

"What? No, I don't want any." Pan's clipped voice jarred him back into the present. No, she clearly wasn't going to be up for any water aerobics.

"Okay, whatever," he replied, taking another drag. Maybe if he would inhale hard enough, and held his breath long enough, she would just disappear, and he could get back to, um, whatshername… Tori, that was it.

Pan was a pain in the ass anyway. She was the kind of girl who wanted to make love, when all he wanted was to have sex.

_Okay?_Pan was surprised that was all he had to say. He must be so baked that he was simply incapable of registering any surprise, or discomfort, at seeing the girl he had screwed barely two months ago and never bothered to call. As he delicately pinched tiny white cigarette, which was now so short it threaten to burn his figures, he started to laugh again.

Bikini Girl, known to the rest of the world as Tori, put her hand proprietarily on Derrick's tanned, ripped stomach and gave Pan an evil glare.

"Can't you see were busy?!" she fumed, Derrick had just been whispering in her ear all the wicked things he was going to do to her, right here in the middle of the lake, and there was nothing better than messing around high.

Pan shook her head and breathed through her mouth. The sticky sweet smell of pot made her queasy. She prayed she wouldn't throw up. Ignoring the unbelievably hot girl whose hand had slid from Derrick's stomach down to his bulging crouch, Pan said to Derrick, "We need to talk… now."

"Why so serious? We're seniors. It's summer vacation. Common, have a hit. It's really good shit. Whatever's bugging you, it'll go away like that." Derrick snapped his fingers unsuccessfully, giggling at his own ineptitude.

"About that, you told me you going away with your family all summer. Why'd you lied to me? Bra told you've been here the whole time."

Fearing she sounded like jealous girlfriend, Pan bit her lip and stopped talking. There were more important things to talk about than some stupid fib about going to America for the summer. It wasn't like she was trying to get him back, to salvage a relationship that had only existed in her Fairy Princess fantasy. This was a business meeting—she needed a financial backer—and nothing more.

Derrick hesitated. He hadn't expected someone as timid as he believed Pan to be to call him out. "It fell through last minute, that's all. You sure you don't want some? It's really good weed. My cousin sent it me from California." Derrick wished this girl would just chill.

When he didn't call, he'd been sending the message loud and clear that it was just a summer thing, a pre-summer thing, and she needed to move on.

"No, thank you."

"By the way, this is Tori. Tori, this is Pan."

Now Tori was no babe in the woods. She wasn't the kind of girl you took home to meet your mother—he actually thought about stuff like that, though he wouldn't admit it. Pan was the kind of girl you brought over for family meals. Good grades, perfect manners, kind of preppy. Tori, on the hand, was the kind of girl you had fun with. She knew as well as he did that this wasn't going anywhere serious, and she was fine with that.

When she slipped her hand inside his bathing suit, it was because she wanted to, because she liked the way his cock felt, not because she thought _he _would like it and she was doing just to please him. That made all the difference for Derrick.

Pan, on the other hand, was complicated. She was someone who needed attention, who wanted a boyfriend, someone to talk to and someone to listen to her. It wasn't all about living in the moment for a girl like Pan. In her mind every guy was potential husband material.

Not what Derrick was looking for the year before he went to college. Tori just wanted to get and high and naked, it was no contest.

He probably should have thought about that before he worked his charm on Pan. It had been too easy, like trapping a helpless bunny, and looking at her, a mass of wet hair and chattering teeth, he kinda regretted taking advantage of her. Somehow she had been more virginal and vulnerable, than most virgins and should have hit the brakes. Now she was coming to tell him off. It probably took her the whole summer to work up the nerve to come and tell him, in perfectly grammatical Japanese, what she thought of him.

Well, he guessed Tori could wait a little while longer. If she was as horny as he was, a quick swim while he listened to Pan vent for a few minutes (he knew owed her that much, after what he took from her) wouldn't be enough to take the edge off.

"Could we have a minute alone?" Pan said to Bikini Girl as she pulled herself onto the dock, still sucking in her stomach, feeling extremely self-conscious next to this waif in a handkerchief that passed for a bathing suit. She was so thin, her stomach was practically concave. Pan wondered where she kept her internal organs.

"Who the hell _is_ this bitch? Tori asked, furious that an otherwise perfect afternoon was being interrupted by some geek in an old-fashioned one-piece who looked like she came out of the pages of a damn Beverly Cleary book.

The fact that Tori didn't recognize Pan, even though they'd gone to the same high school for three years, and the same middle school for the three years before that, confirmed to Pan everything she already knew and everything Bra had told her, the kids who sat in the cool section of the cafeteria were completely unaware of those who sat in the social ghetto next to the kitchen.

"She's nobody. Give me a minute, and I'll get rid of her." Derrick ran his hand across Tori's chest and she shivered with pleasure.

"Don't go too far."

Derrick was definitely worth the wait, so she shrugged and said, "Fine, but you better have more pot." Giving Pan the evil eye, she executed a flawless dive and disappeared under the water, surfacing about ten yards away. She swam effortlessly towards shore.

At Derrick's characterization of her as a "nobody," Pan's heart fell to somewhere down her feet. While she hadn't expected a kiss or an apology, she hadn't been prepared for such a royal dis, and she wished with all her might that she were anywhere else, anybody else.

"So, what do you want?" Derrick demanded.

He waited, he figured he knew what was coming and although he didn't understand why Pan needed to swim out to the middle of lake to scold him for not calling her all summer and lying about going to America, he could understand how she must feel. Getting dumped sucked, even when in his mind they'd never really been together.

Nice girls required too much effort. He made a vow, which he already knew he probably wouldn't be keeping, to avoid such complications in the future.

Taking a deep breath and looking him square in those bright green eyes, which, even after all that happened, made her heart pause, Pan stammered, "I'm…I'm pregnant."

The warm sun, deliciously wooly dizziness, the anticipatory throbbing between his legs—all gone in an instant as his blood turned ice, seemed to stop flowing through his veins. Inside his bathing suit, his hard-on, courtesy of Tori's practiced hand, wilted.

"What did you say?" Derrick had heard exactly what she'd said, but he needed time to let it seep into his brain.

"I'm going to have a baby, your baby. I'm almost eight weeks pregnant."

This wasn't nearly as bad as telling her parents had been. Derrick had no moral authority over her. Her only fear had been that he didn't care about her, but she already knew he didn't, that she had just been one of many back truck conquests—definitely not the first and certainly not the last.

Her shoulders fell as the tension left her body and her breathing returned to normal.

When he felt he could speak without his voice shaking, Derrick said, "It can't be mine. I used a condom. I was careful." He didn't doubt for a second that it was his—until he got her, she had convent material. It was jackass reaction. That's what guys were supposed to do. Deny, deny, deny.

"That was my first… and only time. Apparently condoms don't work all that well. It must have been defective, or you put it on wrong."

Although Pan didn't want to lay any blame on Derrick, since she had willingly gone along with it, but he _had_ been the one wearing the condom. Closing her eyes for a second, she waited for him to reach out to her, to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be okay, that they would figure it out together.

But she wasn't in charge of his feelings and Derrick just sat there, mouth hanging open, his hands balled up in fists, glaring at her with anger and frustration.

This couldn't be happening to him. "What are you going to do about it?"

Derrick wanted to grab her by the hair and drag her to the nearest clinic, but he knew that ultimately it wasn't his choice. He could see his whole life slipping away through what must have been a microscopic hole in the fucking condom, like sand sliding through that tiny opening in the center of an hourglass.

"I don't know."

She noticed that he hadn't asked what are_ we_ going to do about it. Whatever happened, she was going to have to deal with this on her own. She at least wished he would ask how she was feeling. If she was okay, if she was having morning sickness, or if she was scared. Would it kill him to give her a little sympathy?

"Did you tell your parents?

Although Derrick knew very little about Pan's parents except that her father was his older brother's science professor and his brother thought Professor Son was a greatest teacher ever, and that Pan's mother was a doctor for Satan City Hospital and delivered his little sister and that she was the daughter of Hercule Satan, the World's champion. He figured if they knew about the baby, he was doomed to become a father.

Panic engulfed his body as he thought about the football scholarship that had been a certainty until this second. He didn't know anything about becoming a father—could he still go to college or would he have to get a job to support Pan and her kid?

His mind spun out of control as he started adding up the cost of diapers and formula and rent. For a second he hating being a guy, because being a guy meant you had all of the responsibility (except for carrying the thing for nine months and pushing it out and taking care of it), and none of the rights.

"I did, they're not talking to me." Just thinking about it, was making tears build up in Pan's eyes and she wondered if she would ever be able to stop crying, or had the baby turned into a blubbering mess of blubber.

"No shit?" although he was furious with Pan for not telling him first he was still a little bit sorry for her. He figured a girl like Pan would have understanding parents. They lived in the country, he thought maybe they were the Braidie Bunch type. But as long as they didn't know he was the father, he didn't give a shit if they ever talked Pan again.

"What about me? Did you tell them I was the father?" he was scared, nobody could make him do anything but he still would have like to know if Pan's father was going show up at house with a shotgun and marriage license.

And what would Derrick's parents think about this? If he had to give up his scholarship, his parents would likely cut him off too. He could hardly comprehend how a perfect day could fall apart so fast.

"I told them I was pregnant, they said some pretty mean, horrible things to me and now they're giving me the silent treatment. That's pretty much it. My mom know it was you, but I don't think she cares—it's the fact that I did it at all. I'm the one who's related to her and I'm the one who going to have the evidence under my shirt for the world to see. I've humiliated her and my dad. Apparently that's an impartible sin."

As miserable as she felt, Pan felt slightly better talking it out with Derrick. Not that he was saying anything kind or comforting, but as her accomplice, he had to have some empathy, even though he was doing good job of not showing any feelings. How Pan wished she had seen this side of him before her panties came off.

"So why didn't you just have an abortion and leave then out of it? They didn't need to know what happened. You should have come to me right away, and we could have taken care of it ourselves. What did you think was going to happen when you told you fucking parents?"

"I don't know," Pan said quietly. She didn't want to admit that she'd stupidly thought that telling her parents would make it better.

"Well, now that you dragged the your parents into this shit fest, my future's about drive off a cliff and for no good reason, it could have been a fender bender and now, it's gonna be a ten-car pileup!" Derrick seethed.

"That's what Bra said, but how could I have kept it from them? They would figure it out. Besides, I thought you were in another continent, and I don't have a hundred dollars for an abortion."

Pan was already regretting telling Gohan and Videl what she had done. Bra had sternly advised her against it, and now Derrick was raking her over the coals.

"They wouldn't have figured it out if you'd gotten rid of it right away!" calling the baby, or fetus, or whatever it was, _it__, _felt wrong somehow, but it was much easier to distance himself an 'It' than a soft, round, green-eyed baby that 'it' would become in a matter of months.

"Your friend Bra knows as well? Have you told anyone else? You really fucked up Son! You've seen what happed when you told your dumbass parents. This is nobody's business!" if word got out that knocked up the World Champion's precious granddaughter, his life would be over.

Frustrated that Derrick wasn't focused on the actual problem at hand. Pan let out a small shriek of exasperation. Although his reaction was not surprising, she had hoped for something different. But she be tough if that's what was called for.

"don't worry, I not gonna tell another soul you're the father. I'd sooner die than have everyone know that I let you do me in the back of your shitty ass truck. But right now, we've got bigger things to worry about than who in on out dirty little secret. We both screwed up big time eight weeks ago, and I need to figure out what to do _today._ You need to help me. It's_your_ baby too."

Derrick flinched at the words "your baby." He lay back on the warm wet wood and stared directly into the sun. the white light burned his retinas, but he refused to blink. Athletic scholarships and hot girl who spread their legs when he smiled at them were no longer a given. This was really happening, and for the first time in his life, Derrick Warner felt like a total loser.

**Next chapter Pan has to make a very important decision about the baby. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! :D Great news, I was able to write two chapters over the weekend so enjoy the chappies**

*Chapter 5: Pan's big decision*

It was still dark outside when Pan's mother shook her awake on the weekend after she told Derrick her baby news.

"Get up, and get dressed." Her voice was stern but at least Videl was talking to her. Those were the first five words either of her parents had addressed to her since that night she confessed to then about having a baby.

"What's going on mama?"

The strain of her parents' hostility and the needs of the baby growing inside her, was a draining combination, and sleep was Pan's only escape. If the sound of a car backfiring or a door slamming didn't wake her, she was nowhere near ready to face the day.

Not providing any information, just standing in the doorway watching as Pan dressed quickly and quietly, Videl yawned and looked at her watch. Wherever they were going, Pan thought, her mother was in a hurry.

Videl examined Pan's profile in the light from the hall, trying to see if her bell was starting to stick out. It was hard to believe there was really a baby in there: her own flesh and blood, her grandchild. Nausea gripped her, and she turned away.

In the car, Videl turned on the radio and turned it up load. Silence invited conversation, and Videl had nothing to say to the person sitting next her. In the few seconds it took Pan to tell her parents what she had done, she had become a stranger in her mother's eyes.

It was even a surprise to Videl, that she could so easily relinquish her maternal instinct. The bond between mother and child should have been much stronger than that, but Videl had no control over what she was feeling.

As much as she wanted longed to feel loving and protective towards Pan, who was curled up in a ball in the front seat, practically glued to the passenger door, instead she felt only rage and betrayal.

It was clear the daughter was afraid of the mother, and though Videl was sorry her daughter felt that way, she couldn't bring herself to reach across the front seat and still her daughter's shivering shoulders.

Pan had no idea where they were going and so early in the morning. She had not opened her eyes since this mystery road trip had begun three hour ago. The car sped along and all Pan knew was that she was being taken further and further from anything familiar.

She was afraid her mother was going to drop her off at some home for unwed mothers, Pan wept silently. As terrible as it was living with the disapproving stares and deafening silence, the thought of being abandon at some orphanage for wayward teens was far much worse.

She hadn't seen a suitcase, but maybe Videl had hidden it in the trunk. And if Videl left her someplace, she wondered if she would pick her up afterwards, if life could ever go back to the way it was before. A dozen unanswered questions raced in Pan's mind.

In the mist of imagining a series of asylums her mother could be taking her to, Pan fell asleep again, the hum of the AC and the engine too hypnotic to resist. Only when the car was parked did Pan wake up. When she awoke, for just a second, life was as it had been before. But then there was the jolt of her new reality and that heavy feeling, like a cold hard rock in her stomach, returned.

"Pan, wake up. We're here," Videl said tersely, poking Pan's shoulder with her index finger, making as little physical contact as possible.

At her mother's touch, Pan sat bolt upright. Thus far, the top-secret mother-daughter outing had not prompted much of a thaw in family relations, but at least her mother was still taking to her.

"Where's here?" Pan sat up and stretched, looking out the car window at a large mirrored glass office building. The landscape was completely unfamiliar to her.

Ignoring Pan's question, Videl got out, slammed the car door behind her and walked across the parking lot towards the glass building.

Running to catch up with her mother, Pan considered the possibilities. Perhaps Videl was taking her to a doctor before she took to the home for unwed mothers. Or maybe there was an adoption agency in this building.

It was no use asking. Videl was clearly still not speaking to her unless absolutely necessary, and Pan would find out soon enough.

Two minutes later they were in the waiting room of a place called Women's health center of South City.

Pan could understand that Videl wanted to avoid the local obstetrician, but had it really been necessary to drive all the way to South City to get a prenatal exam? Taking a seat at one end of the worn leather sofa, Pan picked up magazine and pretended to read. Across from her, a pink haired girl who looked about the same age as her, was biting nervously on her fingernails and stared at her feet.

In another chair sat a forty-something woman, clearly the biter's mother, flipping violently through an old issue of _People's Magazine_.

"Son Pan. We have an appointment," her mother whispered to the woman at the front desk.

"Please fill out these forms and the doctor will be with you shortly." The receptionist tried to hand Videl the clipboard, but Videl pushed it back across the counter.

"I'd rather not. If I'm paying cash, why do I need to give you any information?" Videl took out her wallet and withdrew a wad of cash. "I'm not submitting anything to insurance, and I'd like to maintain my privacy."

"It doesn't matter what form of payment you use ma'am, you still have to fill out the paperwork. Those are the rules. And you don't pay until the doctor has finished the initial examination, just in case." Once again, the receptionist placed the clipboard on the counter, the attached pen dangling from the silver chain.

"Just in case what? That's ridiculous." Certain that if she didn't back down, she would get her way, Videl stared venomously at the woman in the pink and purple polka dot scrub who was at that moment dreading her decision to take an extra shift that morning.

"No paperwork, no procedure," said the receptionist, glaring up at Videl and turned back to her computer, ending the conversation.

Nostrils flaring, Videl stuffed her wallet back in her purse and flounced, clipboard in hand, over to the couch where Pan was cowered, wishing that whatever was going to happen next would hurry up and happen.

A doctor's visit couldn't be worse than the waiting, imagining her legs splayed open, some stranger touching her, looking inside her. While she knew she deserved whatever humiliation she was about to suffer, and she might as well get used to it, as there were likely to be more doctor's visits in the future—hopefully not all three hours away from home—she had hoped her mother would begin to relax, but Videl cold and hard as a block of ice.

As terrible as this ordeal was, it was so much worse because Pan had no shoulder to lean on. Bra was doing her best, but she was a kid herself, and no matter how gently she patted Pan's back, or murmured comforting words in her ear, or tried to make Pan laugh, it wasn't enough.

A woman dressed in pale blue scrubs and holding a pink file folder opened the door to the rest of the office. "Pan?"

Videl and Pan stood simultaneously. "Just Pan, please." The nurse smiled warmly and held the door open for Pan, while Videl returned to the sofa, teeth clenched, shoulders up by her ears.

"Okay Pan, take everything off and put this on, open to the front." She handed Pan a pink paper robe and left her alone in the examination room. Arctic air blew out of the ceiling vents, and Pan huddled on the paper-covered table, arms crossed, trying to keep her teeth from chattering in the chilled room. The fact that everything in the office was pink did nothing to take the edge of her nerves.

The door opened again. "Hi Pan, I'm Dr. Toga, and I'll be taking care of you today." Thankfully Dr. Toga was a woman. If a man had walked in and asked her to spread her legs, she probably would have passed out.

"So you think you're eight to nine weeks or so?" Dr. Toga asked, scanning the piece of paper in the folder.

"I think so, I did it once on July forth." This was beyond embarrassing and Pan was grateful the nurse hadn't allowed her mother to accompany her beyond the waiting room.

"Were you using birth control?" As sophisticated as young people were today, the myth still persisted that you couldn't get pregnant the first time.

"Yes, he was wearing a condom, but I guess it leaked."

"Have you taken a pregnancy test?"

"Seven." After all that happened, Pan couldn't believe she'd been stupid enough to believe if she peed on enough sticks, she would eventually get the result she wanted.

"You took seven?" the doctor tried to suppress her smile. "Sometimes it's hard to accept, isn't it?" she patted Pan's knee. "Well let's take a look. Have you ever had a gynecological exam before?"

"No ma'am."

"It's not as horrible as you think it's going to be. Just lie back on the table and scoot you bum down to the edge. That's a good girl. Now put your feet in here." She guided Pan's feet into the stirrups.

"Just relax your legs and let you knees come apart, I'm just gonna look inside. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax."

Pan felt the doctor's latex-covered fingers, and although she tried to do as the doctor told her, every muscle in her body contracted.

"I know this is scary, but you need to unclench." The doctor held up a piece of metal that looked like a cross between a duck's bill and medieval torture devise. "This is called a speculum, and I'm going to slip this part inside of you so I can see your cervix. I promise it's not going to hurt as long as your muscles are relaxed."

"Okay," Pan whispered, as tears welled up in her eyes, slid down her cheeks and into her ears.

"You poor thing. Don't worry. The worst part's almost over, then we'll talk about what comes next," the doctor said softly.

Pan nodded as the cold metal slid inside her and she could feel the metal pieces spreading apart and stretching her insides. She didn't trust her voice, afraid that if she tried to speak, she would start crying hysterically and wasn't sure if she would be able to stop.

It really didn't hurt much, although she could imagine how a baby's head could ever fit through that part of her body. She would surely split in two if it came to that.

Dr. Toga withdrew the speculum and placed it on the paper covered tray next to her.

"Okay, now I'm going to do an ultrasound to check the fetal heartbeat. Because you're eight weeks, I'm going to do it internally, but I promise it will be less uncomfortable than the exam I just did. Also, we'll need to do a blood test to check for STDs. I know this is a lot to take in, and the odds are low that you picked up something, but we have to make sure."

As much as she hated piling on the bad news when this kid's plate was already overflowing, Dr. Toga had no choice but to do her job, no matter how unpleasant.

Not knowing what else to say, and wondering what other indignities she would have to suffer before this ended, Pan just murmured, "Okay."

The bean was bad enough, but a sexually transmitted disease would be the shit cherry on top of her crap sundae. If Derrick had given her AIDS or herpes on top of this baby, she would definitely do herself in. well, first she'd kill Derrick, and then she'd do herself in.

As the doctor pressed the buttons on the machine, typing in Pan's vital information, she said, "Have you made a decision about the pregnancy? There's no objective right answer, you know. It all depends on your situation."

"I just want to wake up and be me again. But my parents would never let me have an abortion—they think abortion's murder. So I guess I'm going have it, and maybe put it up for adoption."

Until that moment, Pan hadn't actually thought about what _she _wanted to do. She had assumed she didn't have a choice once she owned up to Gohan and Videl.

Dr. Toga paused. "That's weird. We have you down for a D & C this morning."

"A what?" There was so much Pan didn't know, didn't want to know, but realized she had no choice but to get educated, and fast.

"D & C stands for dilation and curettage. We insert in instrument into the uterus and scrape it out." Dr. Toga spoke without emotion. She felt sorry for the poor, trembling girl lying on the table in front of her, but if she was old enough to go all the way, then she was old enough to hear all the facts.

Pan gasped. That sounded horrible—cruel and painful. Placing her hand on Pan's shoulder, Dr. Toga said, "Don't worry, you'll be asleep, so you won't feel a thing."

Recovering slightly, Pan said, "That can't be possible. My parents would never let me have an abortion. There has to be a mistake."

"Well let's look into this." Dr. Toga picked up the phone on the wall and spoke quietly into it. A minute later a knock came at the door. "Come in."

In walked in Videl, her purse tucked tightly under her arm. "Is everything alright?" she looked suspiciously from Pan to the doctor.

"Everything is fine. Pan's definitely pregnant, based on a cursory examination of her cervix and uterus. I was about to do an ultrasound, just to confirm and make sure everything looks normal before proceed."

Videl nodded but said nothing.

"We have Pan down for a D & C, but she says that must be a mistake. We haven't discussed all of Pan's options yet, but it would be helpful to know if an abortion is a possible alternative. Perhaps you can help clear things up, Mrs. Son." Turning back to Pan, she said, "Ultimately, of course Pan, it is _your_ choice. Have you had a discussion with the father? Does he have an option?"

At the mention of Pan's co-conspirator, Videl found her voice. "The father is of no consequence in this. And while I am opposed to abortion in principle, I feel that under the circumstances, an exception must be made. A baby out of wedlock is simply unacceptable." Videl was breathing hard and she had broken out in red splotches.

"Mrs. Son, while I appreciate your discomfort, I think there are many more important things to consider than whether or not a few people might look askance on your daughter's unfortunate situation. She is neither the first nor the last teenager to face such a decision," Dr. Toga told Videl.

Dozens of furious mothers had passed through the clinic, but there was a wild look in Mrs. Son's eyes that was disturbing. Hoping Mrs. Son wasn't carrying a gun in that purse of hers, Dr. Toga waited for the inevitable firestorm response, one hand resting protectively on Pan's shoulder.

"I brought my daughter to this clinic for a simple medical procedure, not a counseling session, so I would appreciate it if you would keep your words of wisdom to yourself. You know nothing of my life, and I don't need a graduate of some low-end medical school who can't be more than thirty, with no children of her own, telling me how I should deal with _my _daughter."

Out of all the clinics she could have chosen, Videl wondered how she had the bad luck to choose the occupied by a bigmouthed, know-it-all busybody. All she wanted to do was undo Pan's misstep and never speak of it again.

Willing herself to remain calm, Dr. Toga spoke quietly but firmly. "Part of the process is to explore the patient's options, and I'm merely trying to provide a neutral perspective in what I know is an emotionally charged situation. Ultimately the decision belongs to Pan, and I am simply doing my job by providing her with as much information as I can." She paused and took a deep breath. "By the way, for you information, I am twenty-eight years old, I have six-mouth-old twins, and if you consider Harvard Medical School low end, well, so be it."

Turning to Pan, Videl spoke through gritted teeth. "Pan, you have conducted yourself in an appalling manner. Your father and I are devastated that you would do this to us. At this point, your only concern should be to make this thing go away before all our lives are ruined. There is nothing to discuss. Do you understand me?" Videl took a step towards the examination table and Pan recoiled, the tissue paper crackling loudly.

Genuinely afraid for Pan's safety once she and her mother left the clinic, Dr. Toga wondered whether she should be calling social services about this woman. "Mrs. Son, if you would please return to the waiting room. I need to finish Pan's exam, and this conversation isn't getting us anywhere."

Without a word, Videl stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard that the framed diplomas on the wall shook.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Toga. She's really mad at me, and…."

Dr. Toga held her hand up. "You don't need to apologize for your mother. You have no control over her behavior. _I'm _so sorry that you're facing all this with no support system. Do you have anybody to talk to about this? Going through a crisis like this alone is not a good idea."

"I have a best friend, Bra, who knows everything, and she's been great. She told me to get an abortion without telling my family. I should have taken her advice." Pan smiled sadly, Bra's prediction was proving itself correct at every turn.

Sometimes this job was so difficult. The actual practice of medicine was the easy part. When she was dissecting cadavers in medical school, Mary Toga never imagined that she would end up being a social worker as well as a doctor.

"It's a big decision, one that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life, whether or not you ever _choose _to have children someday. Not a decision to be made lightly or out of fear, because you're the one who has to live with whatever you end up doing—not your parents, not your best friend, just you."

"I don't know what to do." The tears cascaded down her cheeks, again.

"It's not easy. There's so much to think about. You don't have any adults in your life to talk to? Right now you really need someone to take care of _you_, make you feel safe, whatever you decide."

"There are my parental grandparents, but I'm so scared of what they'll think if I tell them. If my parents are being this cruel, what will my grandparents think of me being pregnant?" Pan asked more tears building up, "And my material grandfather? I don't know what uncle Goten would think? Maybe he would be more understanding, being a teenager himself but… I just don't know?"

Dr. Toga squeezed Pan's hand in understanding, "I'm sorry sweetie, I know it's hard." As she spoke, Dr. Toga turned a dial on the ultrasound machine and held up the internal probe, a plastic cucumber in a latex sheath. "Now relax, and let's take a look from the inside."

"I just don't know," whispered Pan as she tried to relax her pelvic muscles, silently vowing that she would never let anything or anyone inside her ever again.

"There's the baby, or fetus," Dr. Toga said, pointing at a spot on the computer screen. "It's about an inch across, but it starts growing pretty rapidly at this point. So if you decide to terminate your pregnancy, it's best if you take care of it within the next few weeks. It gets harder after that, both psychologically and technically."

"That's my baby," Pan whispered, dumbfounded by the fact that she and Derrick had in the course of rolling around in his truck actually created a life, a human/saiyan life. It shouldn't have that easy to make a baby. It should be complicated and time-consuming, like knitting a sweater or building a house.

Looking at the pulsating shape on the screen, Pan could now imagine the bean as a baby, and she was scared of all the emotions she was feeling, she was frightened, worried, sorrowful, excited, but the one that stuck out the most was love. Love for this little baby inside her, it was no longer just an _it. _It was her baby, another saiyan.

After Dr. Toga had finished spelunking in Pan's insides, she helped her sit up. "There you go. Your options are these. A termination, today or in the next couple of weeks, which we can perform here, or I can recommend a clinic closer your home." When Dr. Toga first looked at Pan's folder, she had wondered why they had come all the way to South City from Pazou, but now she knew all too well.

"You can also choose to keep your baby or give it away for adoption, there are many loving parents out there who would love to adopt you baby. And there are many different kinds of adoptions, which you can learn if you decide to go that route. I'll give you some brochures that explain the basics."

Taking it all in, Pan started thinking hard about this, she knew in her heart that she didn't want to terminate the baby, it was murder and she couldn't live with that _what if?_ Hanging over her for the rest of her life. Adoption, she wasn't really sure if that was good option either. She remembered all the stories she used hear about people not knowing there real parents were and being depressed about it their whole lives. Not only that but this baby was going to be a saiyan, if she gave it away it wouldn't know it's crazy but amazing heritage. What if it grew up not knowing why it was different from everyone else? Why it have such crazy inhuman powers and it's adoptive parents couldn't tell it why it was different and the only one who would have the answers to its abilities was Pan and she wouldn't be a part of its life.

That was enough to depress even her, there was only one option left, keeping her baby. It wasn't going to easy Pan knew that, but it was better than imagining her baby being depressed and wondering who he or she was and never having the answers.

"I think I've decided. I'm going to keep the baby." Saying it out loud confirmed her feelings, at least for the moment until her mother returned and started screeching at her.

Dr. Toga sighed deeply. Grateful that she had never had to make such a decision, she had no firm option as to what the right thing to do in this type of situation. "Okay. I don't think your mother is going to be too happy about it—probably the understatement of the year—but remember, it's your life, and you have to do what you think is right. Now are you sure you don't want to take the adoptive route?"

Pan nodded her head, "I'm sure, no adoption, I'm keeping it."

"Okay, let me give you some literature about what comes next. You need to find a doctor close to home, take prenatal vitamins, and get lots of sleep. And of course no caffeine or alcohol. I'll leave you to get dressed while I get the literature." Dr. Toga hesitated and then added, "And don't forget, if you change your mind in a few weeks, you can still terminate your pregnancy."

Pan slowly got dressed, wondering how her mother would handle her decision. Would she hit her? Leave her by the side of the road? Although her parents never spanked her while growing up—she had never giving them a reason to lay a hand on her in anger—she could imagine Videl slapping her hard across the face. She could imagine that there was a dark violet side to her parents that could come out because of this decision.

Dr. Toga returned with a folder and handed it to Pan. "Good luck sweetheart. Your life from here on out is going to be really hard, but I know you handle it. You're a very strong person." She hugged Pan and Pan rested her briefly on the doctor's companionate shoulder.

"I put my card in there. If you ever someone to talk to, I want you to call me. My home number and my cell are on the back. Who know? Maybe your parents will surprise you."

Pan shrugged. "Maybe." But the possibility that Videl and Gohan would change their minds and suddenly throw their arms around her seemed less likely than Derrick suddenly declaring his undying love for her and proposing on one knee.

Pan walked into the waiting room, where the nail biter had been replaced by a visibly pregnant Goth girl with tunes of black eyeliner on, black motorcycle boots, and no mother hovering nearby. It had been less than an hour since she first put on the paper robe, but she felt like completely different person.

Videl jumped up, dropping the magazine that had been sitting unopened in her lap. "That was quick. Do you have extra pads? It's a long ride home." Now things could get back to normal. No one would ever have to know and they would never ever have to mention it.

"I didn't do it." Pan's was loud in the library quiet room.

Grabbing Pan by the arm, her nails digging in, Videl practically dragged her out of the office. The receptionist started to call out to Mrs. Son, as she hadn't paid for the pelvic exam, but she thought better of it. She would sooner pay the hundred dollars out of her own pocket than risk a black eye from that crazy bitch.

Pounding the keyboard in frustration, she thought for the hundredth time about quitting this freak-show job with its lunatic right-to-lifers waving their picket signs dripping fake blood, and the outraged mothers who refused to believe that their teenage daughters were having sex until it was too late.

"What are you talking about?" Videl hissed at Pan as they waited in the hallway for the elevator.

"I couldn't do it, and I'm the one who has to live with the decision for the rest of my life." Echoing Dr. Toga's words, Pan sounded braver than she actually felt.

On the ride down, Pan pressed herself into the back corner of the elevator, as far from her mother as she could get. Someone else was in the elevator, so Videl just stared straight ahead, white-knuckled hands clinging on her purse as if it were a life preserver.

As the glass door of the office building closed behind them, Videl again grabbed Pan by the arm and picked up right where they left off.

"About that you're mistaken, young lady. We _all _have to live with your so-called decision. What right do you have to behave this way? I don't know you anymore."

"But mama, grandma Chichi says every life is precious, even the lives of the unborn." Maybe the stress had made Videl forget the bigger picture.

Videl laughed—a short, inappropriate chortle. "Grandma Chichi never had a pregnant teenage daughter."

"You and daddy always taught me that life is a precious gift, and that every life deserved to live it's life and we have no right to take that away." Pan grasping at the straws, trying to remember something else her parents taught her that might remind Videl what really mattered.

"An accident in the back of someone's truck is _not_ a precious gift." Pan gasped at her mother's icy tone. With thirteen little words, Videl renounced everything she had ever taught Pan.

Letting go of Pan's arm long enough to find her keys, Videl suddenly stopped in the middle of the parking lot, oblivious to the car that almost hit her from behind. She looked up at the sky and let out a shriek, combination of anger, frustration, and maybe even a little fear. Pan watched, transfixed, as her mother appeared to vent her wrath at the Kais.

Taking a deep breath, Videl marched towards the car. Before Pan was safely in her seat, Videl had started the engine and shifted into reverse. Pan slammed the door, just missing the parked car next to theirs as Videl lurched out of the parking space and tore out of the lot. Perhaps, Pan thought, they would get into a terrible car accident on the way home, and then the only urgent decision would be left to her father: open or closed casket.

Simultaneously merging onto the highway and dialing her phone, Videl was oblivious to the cars speeding past. "Gohan, it's me."

"How did it go?" Gohan really didn't want to know any of the particulars, but he felt compelled to ask, as long as his wife was stuck with taking care of all the minutiae of this unpleasant business.

He couldn't even say the word _abortion _out loud, and the thought of blood and scalpels and DNA belonging to some random guy who had done Kami knows what to his daughter, was enough to make him want to puke.

"It didn't happen," Videl hissed into the phone.

"What are you taking about?" Gohan asked.

"She wouldn't do it."

"_Wouldn't do it? _Why didn't_ you _make her do it? You're her _mother_." Now Gohan was regretting not coming along to make sure things got done properly.

"What was I supposed to do? Hold her down? That's not how things work Gohan. Parents have all the responsibilities and none of the rights." Videl was determined not take the blame for this one and keep it sully on Pan.

"So Vi, what do we do now?" Furious with his wife for making it more complicated than it needed to be, Gohan did have the wisdom to realize that lashing out at her wasn't going to solve the problem, even if it would make him feel better… temporarily.

"I think we need to go with plan B," Videl said.

"We have a plan B?"

**Alright everyone now that Pan's decided to keep the baby, now you get to vote what the gender of the baby should be.**

**Should it be a boy or a girl? I've already got the names picked out for whichever one you choose. Post your vote on your review. **

**Next chapter, Gohan and Videl put plan B into action and Goten shows up, how's that going to turn out?**


	6. Chapter 6

*Chapter 6: Plan B*

Gohan wondered if his wife was starting to lose it under all the stress, not that she wasn't entitled to be a little nutty. Now she was sounding like a secret agent planning to infiltrate enemy headquarters. Up until the last few days, their life had been relatively simple, straightforward, and sanitary. Their little family always functioned properly, each member knowing his or her jobs and performing them perfectly.

An unwanted child, an unwed mother—Pan had thrown a major wrench in the works. Neither he nor Videl had the tools to deal with such a catastrophe. It was not part of their world, and he had no interest in figuring it out.

He was a scholar with degrees from Princeton and Oxford; it had not prepared him for an adolescent girl who, without warning, decided to go off the rails.

"There has to be. We can't leave it like this, can we? I don't know what to do." As furious as Videl was, somewhere, in a part of her brain, she felt a maddening maternal tug that she fought to bury deeper. The internal conflict was making deep furrows in her forehead.

If Gohan loosened his grip on his anger, even a little bit, she could almost see getting through this as a family. If Gohan could ease up, that could be their Plan B. other people had daughters who got pregnant, even though they didn't know any of them personally, and their families managed not to implode.

Maybe it didn't have to be the end of the world. Maybe they could figure this out as a family.

"Well, the way I see it, the one thing we _cannot _do is just leave it. Pan needs to understand that her behavior will not be tolerated. Let me take care of it. I have an idea. Come straight home."

Slamming the phone down, his self-righteous anger renewed by Pan's latest act of disobedience, Gohan stomped down the stairs down to the basement. Gohan was certain that dealing with Pan was about teaching her a lesson, making her realize on a cellular level how badly she had behaved, how she had violated the family code.

A good spanking would do the trick, but unfortunately, the days when corporal punishment was synonymous with no-nonsense parenting were long over. Although she already begged for forgiveness repeatedly, words were cheap. Pan needed to show by her deed—namely, getting rid of this egregious error—that she was truly sorry.

"Bye," Videl said, knowing her husband was already long gone. It didn't sound like Gohan was ready to let go, to let it play out according to a scenario he hadn't designed.

She could almost hear the steam coming out of his ears, right through the phone. But as long as her husband was willing to take charge of the situation, Videl decided to step aside and let him have a turn. Initially he had passed the buck to her, and she was relieved that now he wanted to participate in this horrible moment in their life. Hopefully, whatever he had mind would be more effective than what she had set out to do.

Thinking about the other night when she had arrogantly recalled how simple raising Pan had been, she realized she was now being punished for thinking she was better than everybody else. If only she'd been paying more attention when Pan started dating, not that she went out much. And she'd thought Pan was so smart—shouldn't a kid who got a five on the AP Biology test have way more savvy when it came to sexual reproduction?

In the back seat, Pan pretended to sleep while she tried to listen in on her mother's phone call. Over the constant stream of chatter from AM talk radio, she was only able to make out something about Plan B. At this point, she could almost believe that her father would knock her out with a ki ball to the head and he and Videl would give her an abortion on the kitchen table.

When she was a girl, Videl had received the Gold Award as a Girl Scout, the female equivalent of an Eagle Scout. Maybe she had a D & C merit badge. After what had happened that morning, anything was possible.

In the driveway, barely able to wait until Videl turned off the engine, Pan flew out of the car and ran passed her father into the house, nearly tripping over a bunch of black plastic garbage bags that littered the front porch.

For the last two hours, she had hardly moved for fear she would wet her pants, and she had been too afraid to ask her mother if they could stop to use the ladies' room.

While Pan was in the bathroom, Gohan took the opportunity to fill his wife in on his inspired plan.

"It's the only way, Videl. Pan needs a shock to the system. Her refusal to do as she was told at the clinic tells me that she is feeling a little too comfortable. I firmly believe we need to reestablish the parental hierarchy, and this is the only way she's going to get the message."

"But, Gohan, it seems awfully harsh." Videl had been as furious and hurt as her husband, but throwing their only child out in the street was cruel and unusual punishment. "Are you sure this is a teachable moment, when she's in this condition? Besides, isn't it against the law to refuse to take care of one's own child?

Distracting her husband with the legal issue might take his hysteria down a Plan C.

"Look Vi, you asked me to come up with a Plan B, and this is it. We need to present a united front, and I'm not talking about kicking her out forever. Just a day or two out there on her own and she'll come to her senses. I know my daughter."

Not quite as confident as he professed to be, Gohan _hoped_ he knew his daughter. But he really didn't believe it was much of a gamble: a few days out there on her own and with nowhere else to go, she would come back crawling and bided to their wishes. They held all the cards. It was just that simple.

Pan reappeared before Videl could point out that based on what happened in the back of Derrick Warner's truck, neither of them knew their daughter as well as they thought.

"What's with all this stuff? Why did you put out garbage bags on the front porch?" Pan asked Gohan, who was standing outside the front door.

Gohan spoke to her for the first time in nearly a week. "Those are your clothes, Pan. You can't stay here anymore. Since you've chosen to compound your earlier transgression with your latest poorly considered decision, you've really left us no choice it would have been so easy to make this thing go away, almost like it never happen. But you're behaving irrationally, and squandering your future. This could have remained a private family matter, but now choosing to broadcast your disgrace. Your mother and I refuse to be a part of this." His voice boomed as if he were addressing his students in a lecture hall.

Pan couldn't quite believe he was saying what he was saying. "Left with no choice?" she echoed. Admittedly, she had done something stupid, but she couldn't see how this one mistake undid an entire lifetime together. It wasn't like she robbed a bank or murdered someone.

"You're kicking me out? Where am I going to go?"

"You should've thought of that before you gave it up like some floozy." Not a person who prior to Pan's living room confession had made habit of using such language, Gohan continued to find power and comfort in talking like a low-end crime figure in a bad gangster movie.

Aware that his chosen words were not exactly Ivy League, Gohan wanted Pan to know that if she wanted to keep this bastard child, she had better get accustomed to hearing people say those kinds of things to her, and worse.

Feeling like an actress delivering her lines in some cheesy soap opera, Pan looked up and asked, "But Daddy, what am I supposed to do?" She had known they were beyond furious, but she hadn't in her wildest imagination believed that they would pack all her belongings and kick her out for not meeting their expectations.

Before Gohan or Videl could answer, Goten came jogging up the driveway with a big smile on his face and called out, "Hey Gohan, mom wanted me to come over to invite you guys over for dinner tonight. She testing out this new gourmet cooking she's trying out and we really would like you guys to come, it's been awhile." As Goten got closer, he realized he had wandered into a major argument.

"Umm did I interrupt something?" Goten asked as looked at Pan who was sitting on top step surrounded by Hefty bags, her face swollen and tear-stained. Gohan and Videl, with a look of fury in their eyes towards Pan. This was clearly more than just a minor family augment. "Pan are you okay?" he asked, worried as to why his niece was crying and if Gohan and Videl were the cause of it.

"I'm fine, Goten," Pan sniffled, trying to smile, but only managing to look like she just returned from dental surgery.

"Is there anything I can do?" Goten looked up at Gohan and Videl. He sensed something bad was happening, and as a saiyan he knew to rely on his instincts. He knew Gohan and Videl would never ever abuse Pan but his gut was telling him he shouldn't leave until he figured out what this fight was about.

"Everything's fine Goten, you just caught us in the middle of a family squabble. Tell mom we'll come over some other time," Gohan told him.

"Are you sure? You want me get dad? We can help you with this garbage," Goten thought maybe if he told Goku his concern for Pan, He wouldn't mind being disturbed from his snack time to do this little garbage job to find out what was up with his oldest son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

"We're fine Goten, we're a little busy… so if you don't mind..?" Videl told him, quiet obviously not in the mood for her seventeen year old brother-in-law.

"Oh okay, I'll tell mom and dad you guys said hi." Goten turned to Pan. "If you wanna come over Pan, you're more than welcome. Mom baked your favorite cookies and we'd be happy if you came over." Slowly walking away, turning to look back every few seconds, hoping that Pan would speak up, Goten reluctantly reached the end of his brother's drive way and turned to the corning walking back to his house.

He looked at his watch. In a few hours he would come up with an excuse to check on things at his brother's house hold, and maybe he should figure out what was going on before telling his dad about this.

"Man I thought he was never going to go away," Videl said.

"Videl, if I can handle class room full of college kid, than I can easily handle my naïve little brother." Turning to Pan, Gohan said, "Think about what we've said. When you've come to your senses, you can come back and we'll take care of this mess properly. Otherwise, you're on your own. You've made your bed, as it were, and now you will lie in to. Videl, inside."

Although Videl was not accustomed to taking orders, she knew that she had failed to hold her end, and now Gohan was in charge. Refusing to meet Pan's pleading eyes, Videl stepped over a garbage bag and followed her husband into the house.

The front door slammed, and Pan was alone. She didn't know what she was going to now. Part of her wanted to cave in but a deeper part her told her if she did, she could never forgive herself. Aborting her baby wouldn't be worth getting back inside the house.

Leaving the bags on the porch, Pan walked around the side of the house, hoping that her parents were watching her through the windows and at any minute they would run outside and throw their arms around her, apologizing for their temporary insanity brought on by the shock of Pan's news, and vowing to work through this together.

But after a few minutes considering this scenario, Pan nearly out loud. The odds were better that Derrick would show up in the next five minutes with a bouquet of roses and a diamond ring. Not knowing what else to do, Pan unfolded a lounge chair at the corner of the fence. No matter how shaken up she was, she could always take a nap.

A couple of hours later, Pan opened her eyes to find Goten sitting beside her in his own chair and playing with his PSP. "Did you have a good sleep?" Goten asked.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was checking on you. When I didn't see you on the front porch, I knocked on the door, but there was no answer, so I walked around the back, and there you were, sleeping like a baby."

"How long have I been asleep?" Pan sat up, her brain struggling to arrange the puzzle pieces of the morning. For a second or two, she wasn't sure whether Dr. Toga had been real or was just a figment of her hysterical imagination.

"It's been a couple of hours since I came over to invite you guys over for dinner." Goten turned off his PSP and looked at Pan. "I don't want to seem like I'm being a noisy old lady, but can ask what's up between you and your parents?" But kinda feeling like it wasn't really his business, Goten added, "Of course if you don't want to talk about it…."

"I did something bad, and now my mom and dad are angry with me." Telling her innocent uncle that she was having a baby was something wasn't sure she could do.

Goten's eyes widened the vague but ominous explanation.

"So what's in the bags?"

"All my clothes."

"Pan, I know I can be a little slow sometimes, I guess I get from my dad. But why are your belongings in garbage bags on your guys' front porch?" Slowly, patiently, Goten tried to ask questions that would get to the heart of the matter. Why his brother and sister-in-law were angry with Pan.

"I'm going to have a baby," Pan whispered and started to cry, her shoulders shaking, all the tears saved up from the morning now flowing freely.

Goten was a bit shocked to say the least but that didn't stop him from reaching over and wrapping his arms around Pan's quivering body. "Oh Tiny please don't cry. It's not the end of the world," Goten said calling her by his special nickname for her.

"Y-y-yes it is," Pan stammered. "They don't love me anymore."

"That's not true; Gohan and Videl wouldn't stop loving you because you're having a baby. It's not like you just told them you were a serial killer," Goten said, knowing that this wasn't really the time for humor, but he was hoping he could at least stop or slow down the torrent of tears.

"But I'm not allowed to come home unless I have an abortion," Pan said, placing her hand protectively over her stomach.

Unsure whether he misheard or that Pan was so distraught that she had confused her facts, Goten said, "But Gohan and Videl are pro-life they would never allow you to have an abortion."

"Apparently there's an exception to the rule when it's your own daughter."

Goten was shocked, from what Pan was saying, it was like Gohan and Videl had been body snatched and now aliens in clever disguises had taken their place. He couldn't believe how cruel his brother and sister-in-law were being.

"So for the moment at least, you've got nowhere to go? Goten asked, still not letting go of Pan.

"No," Pan sniffled.

"How about you come to my house? Mom and dad can maybe talk some sense into Gohan and Videl," Goten suggested.

"No please don't tell grandma and grandpa about this Goten. I don't know what I'd do if they reacted the same way my parents did. Please don't tell them Goten, please," Pan cried begging.

"Okay, okay, I won't tell them Tiny, but I think you got it wrong about mom and dad. They'd be shocked yeah, but I don't think they be ready to throw you out for having a baby." Goten started thinking, trying think of someone else they go to ask for help. Then it came to him.

"I know," Goten said fishing for his phone in his jeans pocket, "I call Bulma, she help, I know she will." Goten dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

At third dial tone someone picked up the phone, "Hello?" came Trunks' voice.

"Hey Trunks it's Goten, I need to talk to your mom for a sec, can you put her on the phone?"

"Why do you need talk to my mom?" Trunks asked thinking it was weird that his best bud wanted to have a chat with his mother.

"You'll find out why later, just put her on the phone… please?" Goten asked.

"Okay, hold on," Trunks said and called out to his mother and a few minutes later Bulma was on the line.

"Hi Goten, Trunks said you wanted to talk to me?" Bulma asked thinking the same thing Trunks thinking earlier.

"Yeah well, we sorta got a problem," Goten said, "You see, Pan's pregnant and Gohan and Videl just kicked her out and said she couldn't come back unless she had an abortion and Pan doesn't want me to tell my parents… so I was wondering…"

"Say no more Goten, Pan is more than welcomed to stay here for as long as she needs to," Bulma said but was a little shock by the news. Never in a million year would she have ever thought little Panny would get pregnant at of wedlock or that Gohan and Videl would kick their little girl out on the streets unless she got an abortion.

"Thank you so much Bulma, we'll be over there in an hour," Goten said grinning thankful that his niece was going to be in good capable hands.

"No problem Goten, see you two in hour, bye." With that Bulma put down the phone and went to go tell Vegeta and the kids that Pan was going to be staying with them for a while.

Goten placed his cell phone back in his pocket and smiled at Pan, "Good news, Bulma says you can stay with them," Goten said and held out his hand for Pan, "Hopefully Gohan and Videl will come to their senses soon and you can be back home and you guys can get through this together," Goten said as he led her around the front of the house.

"I'll get my car and I can put your things in the back seat," Goten told her.

The door flew open, and Gohan stepped out onto the porch. He and Videl had been watching through the windows, speculating on how long it would take Pan to fold, but now his little brother was back, seemingly determined to screw things up.

"Pan, where do you think you're going?" At the sound of Gohan's harsh voice, Pan's shoulders tensed and her heart started to pond.

"Gohan I'm taking Pan to Bulma's till you come to your senses."

"You're not taking my daughter anywhere Goten!" Gohan shouted. Videl stood next to her husband, hands on her hips saying nothing.

"It seems to me Gohan, that if you've thrown Pan out of your house, out of your life, then it's really none of _your_ business_ where_ I take her," Goten said, a bit angry at his brother's behavior towards Pan. He had his arms crossed and glared up at Gohan and Videl.

"This is really none your business, Goten. Our family issues are none of your concern. You need to go home." Videl was furious and exhausted, not quiet able to believe what a day she was having. If Goten had stayed out of it, Videl was sure Pan would have backed down by dinnertime and come crawling back into the house, begging for forgiveness. She would have had the abortion, and all would be right with the world. But now Videl didn't know what was going to happen.

"But it _is my concern, _Videl. Pan is my niece, and as her uncle I'm doing my duty as her kin to see she is taken well care of. Besides, if Pan is longer living here, what difference does it make where she goes?" Goten asked.

"Goten," Gohan said gritting his teeth, "Don't make me personally throw you out of here piece by piece!"

Goten closed his eye and shook his head, "I really don't believe you Gohan, you would have been the last person on earth I would believe would turn into a complete asshole!" Goten shouted and stormed back to his house to get his car.

A minute later, Goten parked his car half way on the driveway and got out and grabbed Pan's things and put them in the back seat. "Common Pan, Bulma's waiting," Goten said and helped her into his car than looked at Gohan and Videl.

"I hope you two come to your senses soon, cause if you don't, you'll be losing more than a daughter." With that said, Goten got into his seat and drove down Gohan's drive way and headed for west city where the Briefs family was waiting.

Gohan and Videl stood there speechless, that was not how it was supposed to go. "How did that happen? I've a mind to…." Gohan firmly believed that Pan needed to learn a lesson, and there was no way she was going to do that if she was going to be living with Briefs before she had even experienced a moment of discomfort.

As Gohan understood it, unless Pan faced the logical consequences of her actions, how would she ever grow up? Living the life of lechery at Capsule Corp was not conductive to introspection and thoughts of remorse.

"To do what, Gohan? We kicked Pan out. We have no control over where she goes." Videl, her shoulder sagging, was beginning to regret their power play.

They would just have to play it out. What could they possibly say if they marched over to Capsule Corp now? They would only look weak and inconsistent, and the first rule of parenting was to look like you were in charge and knew what you were doing, even when you didn't… and always, always stick to your guns.

Gohan stepped back into the house, "Fine, if she want to keep that bastard baby, that's on her. I won't have anything to do with it!" Relieved that the drama was over, at least for now, Gohan walked up the stairs and returned to the comparative peace of his office.

"Let Bulma and Vegeta deal with Pan's mess is they want to," Gohan muttered to himself and sat at his desk raking his fingers through his hair. With lots of time and money, Bulma was the perfect person to step into the breach. He definitely wasn't up to the task.

Part of him realized that this was not a shining moment in his career as a father, but the thought of Pan doing it with some boy made him hate her. She was his baby, and now she was ruined, and he couldn't imagine getting over it.

Although he realized on some level that he might be overreacting—Pan would be eighteen in a couple of more years, and he couldn't expect her to remain a child her whole life, as much as he'd like her to—his need to separate himself from the source of his uncontrollable irrational fury trumped any sense of parental attachment he might have.

**Alright next chapter Pan settles in at Capsule Corp and Trunks makes the scene. Yay! Finally! :D Remember to vote if you want the baby to be a boy or a girl. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all your reviews. Please remember to keep voting it's not over yet and no Pan is not going to have twins so please don't vote for twins, it's just one baby so vote for a boy or a girl.**

*Chapter 7: Settling in*

When her mother had woken her at four o' clock that morning, Pan had imagined many scenarios, but this wasn't one of them. Her mother taking her to get an abortion, her refusing to go through with it, getting thrown out of her own house, Goten coming to her rescue and now she was at Capsule Corp. to say Pan was having a long day would be an understatement.

"Oh sweetheart," Bulma said hugging Pan in loving tight hug, "How are you feeling?" Even as she said it, Bulma realized it was a stupid question that was to ask. How would you think that the poor child was feeling? While Goten was getting Pan things out of his car, Bulma led Pan into the kitchen.

"Pan you look tired, have you eaten anything today? Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Right now you need a good meal and a place to lie down," Bulma said and got some cookies out of the cupboard.

"Here you can snack on these, my mother is making dinner it should be ready in an hour or two. You just make yourself comfortable sweetie, our home is your home," Bulma told Pan trying to make the situation a little better for her.

"Thank you Bulma-San, I really appreciate you taking me in," Pan said smiling lightly, "I'm sure my parents will get over it, they're just really angry right now. But I'm sure with a little time, they'll come around and I can go back home and then I can get out of your guys' hair." Pan still felt hurt by how her parents treated her. But as hurt as she was, she didn't want Bulma or anyone else to think badly of them. No matter what they said or what they did, they were still her parents and she loved them.

"I'm sure your right, Pan. When people are frustrated, they can behave in usual ways. And you're no burden, Pan. You're like family and don't you forget that." Bulma patted Pan's cheek, "Now you go get settled in."

Goten had brought Pan's belongings to her new room and helped her put away her stuff before saying goodbye and telling her he would check up on her and see how she was doing when he could.

When Goten left, Pan went to take a shower. It felt good, like washing the day away. When she got out and back into her bedroom, Bra was sitting in her bed smiling at her.

"I come back from the mall and mom says you've moved in with us." Bra patted the bed for Pan to come sit by her.

"Yeah, it been a wired day," Pan sighed, she didn't know where to begin, and she wasn't looking forward to hearing Bra's inevitable "I told you so."

"So what's been happening to you for the last few days? You weren't answering my text messages and phone calls or my Facebook messages. I thought maybe you did something drastic." Bra was shuttering at the thought. Even though Bra knew Pan would never kill herself, desperation could make people do crazy things. When Pan had said she wished she would have drowned in the lake, maybe she hadn't been kidding.

"I Sorry Bra, I know I should have called," Pan said sighing, "Anyway my mother took me to some clinic in South City today for an abortion." Had it really been just that morning? It seemed like it had been a year since Pan had her feet in stirrups, felt the cold steel of the speculum. Involuntarily she crossed her legs.

"WHAT?! That's impossible. You're parents? Baby killers?" this was a staggering development—not at all what Bra expected from a couple like Gohan and Videl. Recovering from the initial shock, Bra said, "Well if you're here, I'm guessing it did go there way did it?"

"No, I couldn't do it, Bra. When I saw that ultrasound… I don't know, something just happened to me. I decided that I'm keeping the baby. and I thought about how I would feel for the rest of my life, wondering if I did the right thing, I couldn't live with myself if I made the wrong choice. That's when it really went to hell. My mother said my being pregnant would ruin hers and dad's lives, and she said that they couldn't have me in there house anymore."

"So your parents dread being humiliated in front of their colleagues more then they fear their conscious' of killing they own flesh and blood? Good to know." Bra chuckled. "But they're acting like assholes, stupid ones at that. Everyone in Satan City and near is gonna know you're preggers soon enough, whether or not if you're living under their roof. Wherever you keep your toothbrush, you're still their daughter. So how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine I guess, I'd probably be a homeless pregnant teenagers if Goten hadn't of wondered into the middle of my eviction and rescued me. My father had packed all my stuff in garbage bags and put them on the front porch. Maybe he thought I'd take my stuff and leave town." Pan had to smile at the mental image of herself standing next to a freeway on-ramp, surrounded by hefty bags, thumb out, puking her guts all over the place as she waited for a ride.

"Garbage bags? He's a classy guy, your dad. I can't believe they thought you'd just leave. More likely they thought you'd fold and do what they wanted, but I guess they didn't take into account of Goten."

"Yeah, he can be a goofball sometimes but he can really be an uncle when it comes to the important stuff," Pan said smiling grateful to still have at least one family member that loved her and didn't resent her for having a baby.

"Well you're living with us now, I still think you should have gotten an abortion, but it was your decision and as your best friend I will support you in whatever decision you make."

"Thank you Bra, you really are a true friend." They both shared a hug.

"Alright I'll leave you alone now, you look like you could use a nap," Bra said and headed for the door leaving Pan alone once again. Pan decided to take a little nap.

An hour later, a knock on the door startled Pan awake, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she said, "Come in."

The door opened revealing not Bulma or Bra but Trunks. She hadn't seen him since school let out.

"Hey Pan, how you feeling?" Trunks asked. Bulma had told him everything that happened. He was quiet surprised by everything. He never would have pegged Pan for a girl who would go all the way and get pregnant or that Gohan and Videl would become monsters as Bra had put it. "Maybe that's a stupid question to ask huh?"

"Oh no it's okay; I've wanted someone to ask that question for the last eight weeks. I'm okay… somewhat..."

"That's good," Trunks said, giving Pan a smile. His smile was at least as nice as Derrick's; Pan realized she definitely had a thing for teeth.

"Common, why are we standing here? Why don't we go outside, if you're not too tired? It's a beautiful evening and after the day Mom said you had, I think you can use a little fresh air."

Trunks led the way down the staircase and into the kitchen. The aroma of roasting chicken and fresh rosemary flooded Pan's nostrils, and her stomach growled. "Hi Grandma," Trunks said and gave Mrs. Briefs a kiss on the cheek, "Pan and I are going to go out back for a little while. Dinner smells incredible."

"Hello Panny sweetheart!" Mrs. Briefs squealed and embraced Pan in a loving hug, "I hope chicken's okay. I'll make you something else if you like, just let me know sweetheart." Mrs. Briefs smiled sweetly and went back to whipping egg whites in a shiny copper bowl.

"It nice to see you too, Mrs. Briefs and I like everything so no worries," Pan said smiling lightly.

Bunny nodded, "Would you like a snack now? Dinner won't be ready for a little while, and I remember being pregnant with Bulma I was always starving. It must double time considering you're a saiyan."

Pan nodded shyly, covering her stomach as if she could hide the baby. _Being pregnant_. Her cheeks reddened at the two words, Pan looked at her feet. For the next seven months, everyone who looked at her would know she was one of those girls who had done the deed and gotten knocked up before she was even out of high school. It was going to be hard to face all those curious, judgmental stares. Mrs. Briefs had been nothing but kind and Pan was still mortified.

Turning to the cooling rack on one of the black marble counters, Bunny Briefs picked up two muffins and handed them to Pan and Trunks. "Fresh out of the oven. Banana nut muffins." Mrs. Briefs smiles so widely that her eyes almost disappeared.

"Thank you Mrs. Briefs, these smell wonderful." Pan gratefully took a bite, savoring the sweetness. Next to her grandma Chichi's, Mrs. Briefs' cooking was the best. Pan feared she would eat everything in sight as long as she was staying the Briefs home. She had no idea how much weight you were allowed to gain during pregnancy.

Outside, Pan and Trunks wandered across the grass and sat down on the swinging bench beside Mrs. Briefs rose garden. Pan nibbled on her muffin, not really know what to say to Trunks but luckily for her, he spoke first.

"So when are you due?" Trunks asked.

From the top of her head, down to her toes, Pan felt a surge of heat. "Sometime in April."

"I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it you don't want to. But you shouldn't be embarrassed. Not with me. I mean, shit happens. I'm not my sister. I don't judge." Trunks' face turned pink as well. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Pan uncomfortable. Her parents were already treating her like she had serviced the entire football team on the fifty-yard line during halftime.

"No, it's fine. I'd better get over it. It's only going to get worse." Pan placed her hand on her stomach, which still gave no clue as to what was going on inside. "I got myself into trouble messing around in some guy's truck, and now I have to live with the consequences. I'm stupid and slutty, and everybody's going to know it."

As trite and old-fashioned as that sounded, that was the truth, even in a supposedly liberal, modern society. What made it even worse was that Derrick wouldn't suffer for a moment because of this—if anyone did find out he was the father, it would probably only enhance his reputation as a stud. Pan covered her face with her hands. Because of this perennial double slandered, it felt odd talking to a guy about stuff like this. But perhaps because Trunks wasn't really your typical ordinary guy, it was slightly less humiliating. Like talking to a therapist.

"Don't talk like that. You think you're the only girl in high school who ever did it in the back of a car with your boyfriend? I don't think so." Trunks shuddered internally.

Not that he was an expert. He had only been with one girl exactly twelve times, and every time they had done it he'd felt like he had done something dishonest, because he knew he didn't love her, and as hurting as he knew it was, he had no idea how to separate sex from love, even though he tried his best, all twelve times. If the girl had gotten pregnant, Trunks couldn't begin to imagine how he would have dealt with it.

"He wasn't my boyfriend. It was our third date. That's pretty slimy, by anybody's standards," Pan whispered, certain that this admission would forever tarnish her image with Trunks. Not that he probably thought much of her anyway; she was only his little sister's best friend. But this would definitely be the nail in the coffin.

Getting naked on the third date_ was_ a little soon, although for a guy such a pace would earn high-fives, not scarlet letters. Determined not to pass judgment, Trunks tried not to show his surprise. Even if she'd done it on the first date, there was just something about Pan that was so _un_slutty.

"You did something you regret doing, and you really got unlucky. Are you gonna punish yourself for the rest of your life?"

"I think maybe I am. I deserve it for being a moron, if nothing else."

For the most part, she liked who she was before, except for the geeky aspects. And in the rearview mirror, she really wasn't that much of a nerd—she only owned one calculator, had only seen _Star Wars _once, and she'd never even been to a sci-fi convention. In retrospect, she wondered why she had felt so lost during junior year. Bra was right—if only she had talked it out with someone.

"You shouldn't do that to yourself. It's not healthy, and it's not true," Trunks said.

"But I deserve to feel bad for losing my virginity to a guy I hardly knew. In my heart I knew he didn't really even like me. That's beyond pitiful, isn't it?"

"You really only did it once?" _What are the odds of that?_ Trunks wondered.

Pan nodded miserably.

"He didn't use a…?"

"He did, but it's not a hundred percent effective, which is a statistic that I, the math whiz, should have been aware of." Pan couldn't believe she was having a conversation about condoms and sex with Trunks! And she wasn't stuttering of sweating.

"By definition, one time means you can't be a slut, but I will say you have the worst luck in the world. First time, using a condom and you still got pregnant."

"That's in a nutshell, a really shitty nutshell." Squeezing her eyes shut, she successfully held back the waterworks. Having already cried buckets, Pan knew they didn't help. Crying just made her face ugly and scrunched up, and she didn't need to feel anymore unattractive.

"If you feel that way about it, and you're not even in a relationship with this guy, then why don't you just have an abortion? Then no one would ever have to know." Bulma had told him that was what Pan's parents wanted her to do, and her refusal to go through with it was why they kicked her out.

On one level Pan agreed with Trunks. Sixty or seventy years of self-flagellation were impossible to imagine. "You're right, but if I get an abortion, I feel like the ghost of that baby that never got to be will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"A ghost? You really believe in that stuff, Pan?" Trunks asked looking at her like she was crazy. They both knew that there was no such thing and that spirits either ended up in HIFL or Other World.

"Not chain-rattling, white-sheet haunting. Someday, I _hope_ I get married and have a family, you know do it in the right order with the right person. If I have an abortion, then when I have a baby because I want to, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop thinking about this one, there's no way to undo that. And I can't give it up for adoption; this baby's going to be part saiyan. I'd be putting it and everyone else in contact with it in danger if it didn't know how to control its powers. I'm the one who can teach it and love it for who it is. I don't want it living its life feeling like a freak. I may end up regretting a lot of things, but this won't be one of them and I won't be asking _what if _for my whole life. Does that make any sense?"

This was heavy stuff to talk about with a guy close to her age. But he had asked, and each time she explained herself, Pan felt marginally more confident that her decision to go through with the pregnancy was the right one for her, in spite of the domestic conflagration she had created by defying her parents.

"Actually, that makes a lot of sense. It would be so easy to get trapped in this moment, only thinking about how you feel today, but you're right, you've got a lot of years ahead of you. I'm sure you'll meet the right guy and have the family you deserve someday, with no regrets."

"It's hard to imagine that happening to me, falling in love, having someone fall in love with me. But I have to make myself think that way, or else I'll lose my mind." She shook her head.

"Let's not talk about my mess anymore. You know pretty much everything now. What's been going on with you? I haven't seen you sense school got out for the summer."

"Well since this will be our last year of high school, mom has been training me to take over the Capsule Corporation. By the time I graduate, I'll be the executive once I'm in college and then when I graduate college I'll be vice president. Dad's been training me like crazy lately saying "No son of mine is going to be a pathetic weakling." Trunks said smiling as Pan giggled.

"That sounds like Vegeta and that's really great, to be taking over your mother's company soon. Sounds like you've had a busy and interesting summer. I on the other hand, am a total hick." Unsophisticated, provincial, and pregnant—quite the prize package. All that was missing were bare feet, a couple of tattoos, and a trailer park, Pan imagined Trunks was thinking.

"Well I think you're very nice…for a hick." Trunks smiled. He thought but didn't say it out loud that Pan being here was proving to be a pleasant situation. If only she wasn't pregnant with some guy's baby—but if she weren't, then she wouldn't be here, so maybe it was meant to be. Like sometimes his mother would say, "Life is full of its fates and little twists."

"That's the sweetest thing I've heard from a boy in a long time. It really is." Grateful that Trunks was making the effort to flirt with her a little bit, to make her feel like a girl rather than a science experiment, Pan started to relax.

They were interrupted by Bra who marched up to them, hands on her hips. "Well you're getting friendly," Bra said smirking.

"We were just talking, and unlike you. I listen and don't give harsh comments," Trunks told his little sister.

"Wow, since when have you become a therapist? And whatever, I tell people what they need to hear. Anyway, dinner's ready and mom told me to get you guys," Bra told them before walking off back inside the house.

"Shall we?" Trunks held out his arm and Pan put her hand into the crook of his elbow. She never realized what a gentleman Trunks had become. Pan remembered when they were kids and he used tease her about everything. She remembered him being a bit of a cocky brat during their childhood years, and now he was a mature understanding young man.

_Would things have been different if it had been Trunks instead of Derrick? _Pan wondered briefly before shaking it off. Trunks and her? Now that was hard to imagine. He was her best friend's brother, not someone she thought she would consider being a boyfriend.

She couldn't think of relationships right now, she had to concentrate on herself and the baby. She just needed to wait for the future to play out in whatever strange way it need to. For a second, Pan could imagine a decent life after the baby was born.

They were in the big dining room that was only ever set up when business associates came over for dinner meetings or when it was the holidays came around.

Pan and Trunks sat on the opposite sides of each other near the end of the table, Bra sat by Pan, Dr. Briefs by Trunks and Bulma sat at the head of the table.

"I'm sorry about this whole state dinner setup Pan, my mother wanted to make it special tonight to welcome you to our home," Bulma said, "I guess it's a bit too much."

"It's very nice, but she shouldn't have gone through so much trouble for me." Pan was already worried about becoming a burden. She had no idea how she would ever be able to repay the briefs family for all their kindness.

"Don't worry about it sweetie," Mrs. Briefs said smiling, coming in with last dish, "I love doing this. It get kinda boring doing supper in the kitchen every night. But I probably should have brought you dinner in bed in your room—you've had a long day." Mrs. Briefs squeezing Pan's hand.

"No this is wonderful. Please don't apologize. I don't know how to thank you all for everything."

"Well look who's decided to show up to be with his family for dinner," Bulma said smiling slyly as Vegeta made his way to the table and gave her grunt.

"Your mother said we were having dinner in here, any special reason why?" Vegeta asked.

"Mama wanted to make it special tonight for Pan," Bulma explained.

Vegeta turned his attention to Pan and spoke, "The woman tells me that Kaka-brat kicked you out of your house for having a brat of your own."

"Vegeta!" Bulma said glaring at her husband.

Pan suppressed a chuckle, Vegeta was just being Vegeta. "It's okay Bulma; yeah Vegeta, my parents kicked me out. But I'm sure they'll get over this pretty soon, and then I can get back home," Pan said, needing to believe that her parents were just having a forty-something equivalent of a temper tantrum. In a day or two they would come to their senses, would realize they had overreacted, would realize how much they missed her…she hoped.

Dr. Briefs was the next to speak up, "Well until they come around, you should enjoy yourself while you're here, dear. Think of it as you're on vacation, except for the fact that you three will have to go back to school on Tuesday."

"Geez, thanks for the buzzkill, Gramps. Are you trying to ruin the weekend?" Bra asked in a teasing tone.

Distracted by all the drama in the last couple of weeks, Pan had nearly forgotten that she had to go through senior year. During her three first years of high school she couldn't remember any girls with beach ball for bellies waddling through the halls of Orange Star High School.

A dubious honor to be the first. Instead of enjoying the euphoria of senior spring, she would be going into labor in AP English and giving birth in the nurse's office. But Bulma's glass-half-full attitude was contagious, and for the first time she thought that maybe everything could work out.

Taking a sip of her ice water, Pan smiled at everyone at the table. As Dr. Briefs went on about his latest experiment he had been working on. Pan was almost, but not quite, able to enjoy her first evening in her temporary new home.

Lying in bed later that night, unable to fall sleep, Pan wondered if her parents were still awake. Were they thinking about her, or had they banished her from their minds as they had banished her from their house? She stared at her phone, dialing the first three digits of her parents' number over and over, unable to finish. What would happen if she called them? Would they answer, or would they just let the machine pick up?

**Next chapter they're all back in school and Bra get an unexpected visitor in her car.**


	8. Chapter 8

*Chapter 8: Back to School*

_Dear Baby,_

_I'm writing you these little notes so you'll know what your mama had to go through to get you here. I don't know what you are yet so I'll just call you Baby. I know so original huh? Sweet little Baby, you're almost eleven weeks old. About the size of a lime, and you have fingernails. The baby book says you can swallow and you've started kicking, but you're still too small for me to feel. I'm looking forward feeling you moving inside me, but I think it will be kinda scary, because then everything will become real. Right now I still find it hard to believe that you're living inside me, like a tiny tenant in a studio apartment who will outgrow your quarters in seven months. Well I got to go to school now._

_Love, _

_Mama._

It was September eleventh, the first day of senior year. Instead of enjoying the relief that should come with gearing up for the last lap of high school, Pan was on the verge of a breakdown, not sure she had the strength to suck it up and slog through the day.

Suddenly uncertain if she made the right decision about the baby, the time for changing her mind was running out. Standing under a tree outside school, waiting for Bra, Pan felt certain that everyone knew, that she gave off some fecund pregnancy scent, or that Derrick had blabbed, and she might as well have a big _A_tattooed on her forehead. Rivulets of sweat ran down her back and her breasts, ached inside her painfully tight bra.

Certain that pregnancy had caused her to swell up like a pair of cantaloupes, which would be another dead giveaway; Pan wore a T-shirt bra that was supposed to be breathable, but was incredibly uncomfortable. Something had to give, because the way she felt at this moment, she wasn't going to last another week, let alone until April.

Although Trunks had driven her to school in his Mercedes, he had left her and went to meet with Goten at some meeting for techno geeks that they were thinking of joining. Credit to him, he had said that she could tag along so she wouldn't be alone, but she had refused.

The time had come for her to stand on her own two feet, at least until Bra arrived—or until her ankles became too swollen to hold her up, which she felt was gonna happen any second, but according to the pregnancy book that was a treat that was still a few months away.

Where was her best friend? They were living in the same house, why couldn't they ride in the same car? Pan thought to herself. But Bra was stubborn and said Trunks didn't need to give her a ride when she had her own car. She probably would be late too if she went Bra instead of Trunks but she need her best friend right about now.

She had promised her that she would be there through thick and thin, which definitely included being pregnant on the first day of senior year? Checking her watch every fifteen seconds, as if that would hasten Bra's arrival, Pan waved and smiled, pretending to be normal.

Already late, Bra skidded into one of the last open parking spaces. Checking her face in the rearview mirror, she was startled by someone tapping hard on her window.

"What the hell do you want?!" she hissed.

She stared up at Derrick, hoping he might go away, but he continued knocking. "Let me in. I need to talk to you."

As gorgeous as he was, there was a cool detachment about him that transformed his flawless features into a death mask. Reluctantly, she popped the lock and he slid into the front seat.

Bra gave him one of her father's death glares and asked, "What do_ you_ want you asshole?"

"I want you to talk some sense into your crazy friend. You need to make sure she gets this taken care of, _now_." Derrick spoke in a monotone and stared out the windshield at a tree. It was like a scene out of a mafia movie. His next line would be something about concrete boots and sleeping with the fishes.

"What exactly do you mean 'taken care of'?" Although Bra knew very well what Derrick meant, she wasn't going to make this easy on him. She wanted to make him spell it out and prove what a scumbag he really was.

"Don't play dumb, Bra. You know what I'm talking about. She needs to get rid of this thing, this problem. If my parents find out, I'm dead. I don't think she's thought this through."

Realizing if he came on too strong this girl was going to stonewall him, he tried to soften his voice, if charm didn't work, there was always time to get nasty later. Besides, she was kind of hot in a bitchy sort of way and it didn't hurt to keep his options open. The type of chick who always had to have the last word, she probably liked it rough and definitely on top. She had possibilities, if she ever stopped running her mouth. But now wasn't the time to think about a potential Number Twenty. Number Seventeen had to be dealt with first.

"Well it doesn't look like you're going to get your way. Pan is having this baby, and she is keeping it, you douchebag." Blonde hair falling just so over his forehead, shiny green eyes and miles of white teeth notwithstanding, it was easy to see that this guy was a total bastard. Bra wondered how brilliant Pan hadn't been able to see it.

"What do you mean she's keeping it?! This needs to go away, _now_!" playing nice wasn't working. Desperation rising like a wave inside him, Derrick could feel his very loose grip on his limited self-control slipping. He didn't know Bra all that well, but she didn't look like someone who would give up when her back was against the wall. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to hold it together, just a little while longer.

"Or else? Are you threatening me, you selfish prick?"

Bra wasn't scared of this asshole, and even though he had a reputation of being a ladies' man, from what she could see, he was more of a bully. Derrick didn't look above hitting a girl if he didn't get what he wanted from her. If he tried anything, she would just have to beat him so badly that he'd probably end up being a cripple… that was if he survived her beating.

"No, I just think that Pan should think a little more about what she's doing. Having a baby isn't buying a fucking dog. I don't love her, I don't want to be a father, I'm not going to marry her, and I think I should have some say in how this plays out, assuming it's even mine."

That last bit was unnecessary and incredibly, and even he knew ridiculous, but it didn't hurt to keep that seed of doubt alive. "Can't you see what I'm going through?" in spite of the fact that Pan was the one who had to carry the baby, Derrick felt like he was entitled to a little sympathy too.

Bra shook her head. "You're even more of a piece of shit than I thought you were. You probably should've considered all those things _before_ you took your dick out of you pants. But you don't have to worry your pretty little head about it. You're not gonna be on the hook financially, and Pan doesn't plan on telling anyone who the father is, so why don't you go fuck yourself. And get the hell out of my car!" Bra growled at him, she so wanted to beat the shit out of him and mess up his pretty face.

"Just tell Pan what I said. And tell her if she wants anything from me she's going to have to get a DNA test." Derrick got out of the car, slammed the door, and stormed off, "That was a waste of time," Derrick mumbled to himself.

Bra sat in her car, taking deep breaths and trying to figure out what to say to Pan about her babydaddy. When the first bell rang, she still decided how to broach the subject, other than to postpone it as long as possible.

As her grandfather sometimes likes say, bad news keeps. Reluctantly Bra got out of her car, pasted a smile on her face, and hurried to find Pan, who had to be furious that she was so late.

"There you are," Pan called out, relieved that Bra had finally arrived. There was no way she could get through this first day without her best friend.

"Sorry I'm late. Minor wardrobe crisis." It was not the moment to tell Pan that she had run into Derrick in the school parking lot, and that he had urged her—more like threatened her—to talk some sense into Pan about her_ problem, _as he called it. Bra knew she would have to tell Pan about her little encounter with the devil, but there was no rush.

"You look beautiful, so I guess it worked out," Pan said. She should have guessed that Bra was late because she couldn't find anything to wear.

In a short light blue sundress and navy blue flats, Bra did look gorgeous. Pan wondered again why the boys couldn't seem to get past Bra's personality issues—her body was amazing and her hair was the richest aqua blue. Pan's build was much the same, but she was already morning the loss of her perfect proportion and the advent of miles of elastic that would be needed to encase her rapidly swelling anatomy.

This was the first summer her mother had allowed her to wear a bikini, and now she probably would never look decent in one again. It was a minor problem in the grand scheme of things, but upsetting nonetheless.

"And you look just like you. No one can tell. I swear." Bra didn't have to lie. There was no suggestion of a bulge anywhere on Pan's slim frame. But according to the baby books Bra had consulted—she owed it to her best friend to be well informed—the change would happen overnight. One day soon, Pan was going to wake up looking pregnant; it was inevitable.

"Thanks for caring enough to bullshit me," Pan replied as the second morning bell rang and they joined the herd of students lumbering into the first day of school.

Miss Kenta, the AP English teacher, tottered into the classroom, a hippopotamus in clam diggers and kitten heels. "Welcome back, children." Her eyebrows rose. "Yes, you're still children. Enjoy it—it's almost over." She pushed the edge of her desk, staring at her class over bright red glasses sitting on the end of her nose.

"I know you're all chomping at the bit, desperate to become adults, believing that therein lies some magical key to happiness. But let me be the first to burst your bubble. Adulthood means responsibilities, making difficult decisions, some of them wrong, and with no one to come and clean up after you."

Although Pan knew it was practically impossible, she felt as if Miss Kenta were speaking directly to her. Could she know? Her face nearly as red as the teacher's glasses, T-shirt clinging to the damp skin on her back, Pan fought the urge to run out of the classroom.

Fleeing would only raise more eyebrows, and her secret, if it hadn't already gotten out, would be much closer to the surface.

Someone in the back of the classroom raised his hand and asked, "Does this have anything to with AP English? Are we going to be tested on this? Should we take notes?" everyone laughed. It was a universal sentiment: unless it was on the test, nobody gave a damn.

"Every word I utter and everything you see in this class could potentially be on an exam. So pay attention. You never know what might be significant," Miss Kenta replied, hopping delicately off the desk and clicking over to the white board where she wrote a list of books and poems "In case you're wondering, write this down—it's important."

Six hour and five classes later, Pan collapsed in the front seat of Trunks' car. More than anything else in the world she wanted to free herself from her clothes, but it would have to wait. She was having trouble getting enough air, but she couldn't decide whether she was simply being strangled by her T-shirt bra or was suffering a six-hour panic attack.

"You made it through the first day. Only one hundred and seventy-nine left to go," Trunks said as he started the car and turned the air conditioning on full blast.

Pan's face was on fire, tiny beads of sweat dotting her forehead, even though it wasn't that warm out. It was obvious that she'd had a rough time of it. Trunks pressed a button on the steering wheel, and classical music floated out half a dozen speakers, it was like a relaxation tank on wheels, but in Pan's state, cool air and an overture were of little help.

"Don't remind me." Fiddling mindlessly with the thermostat, Pan said, "I don't think I can do this."

"Look you got through today. You'll see how it goes tomorrow. Take one day at a time," Trunks said, trying to be supportive and sensitive, but worrying that he sounded like a refugee from one of those alcoholics' support groups that meet in people's basements once a week to trade platitudes and sobriety tips.

Having only had guys as friends and Goten being his only best friend, he was a novice when it came to friendships with girls—sure they had all grown up together but he never really considered Pan his friend. She was Bra best friend and Goten's little niece—and Pan wasn't your average teenage girl. That coupled with the fact that he felt different with her left him on the edge.

She made him nervous, in a really good way, but it was disconcerting. Searching for just the right words to comfort Pan who he considered his new friend, he would do or say anything to make her happy, or at least make her feel better. He wished he could fast-forward to next April.

"I'm not sure I made it through. Between the sweating and the hyperventilating and the paranoia, I have no idea what actually happened today. Even if I go to class, I'm going to flunk all of my course." Pan flipped the visor down and examined the tomato that was her face in the mirror. "Yikes. I look like a pomegranate."

She flipped it back up and stared out the window as the glacial, German-engineered air conditioning dried her damp skin and hair. Perhaps if she could go to class in this car she could survive.

"You look fine." What Trunks really wanted to say was that she looked beautiful and vulnerable and he would do anything to protect her. He had spotted the evil Derrick in his History class.

With girls swarming around him like bees buzzing around a particularly luscious flower, Derrick was impossible to miss. No wonder Pan had fallen under his spell—he looked deep into each girl's eyes, and the way they batted their eyelashes and twirled their hair, it seemed only a matter of time until each one found her way into the back of the infamous Chevrolet.

That this one guy could have random sex with the entire female population of the senior class, along with a healthy quotient of underclass girls, seemed entirely plausible, and that made Trunks even more furious about what he had done to Pan.

As bad as it was to be in her unfortunate condition, it was much worse, because she was clearly only one of the many toys in this scumbag's playpen. Trunks fantasized about sucker punching him, whispering, "How does it feel to get fucked?" as Derrick fell to the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

*Chapter 9: Dr. Tauzon*

_Dear Baby,_

_You're twelve weeks old. That's the cutoff date, the end of the first trimester. We're in this thing for the long haul now, you and I. No backing out, no more flip-flopping. No procedures involving scraping and vacuuming. The only way you're coming out is head first, screaming your lungs out, and as scary as that is, I'm a hundred percent sure it's the right thing to do. You're fully formed already (I wonder whether you're a boy or a girl), a perfect miniature person, a part of a special race of people known as the Saiyans. You'll be the eighth saiyan alive. I'll tell you all about your heritage when you get a bit older. Your teeth are starting to grow in your gums. My teeth are pretty good. They're very white and I never had to wear braces, so maybe you'll get lucky. I'm off to see the doctor. Wish me luck._

_Love,_

_Mama._

"Son Pan?" A nurse, who looked almost exactly like the nurse at Dr. Toga's clinic, but in lavender scrubs, was holding a folder and calling Pan's name. Also different was that Videl wasn't present, and this time Pan knew why she was here and what was going to happen. Bulma looked up from a copy of _People's Magazine_ and smiled encouragingly. When Pan stood, she held her hand to the woman who had been her second mother since she was a little girl.

"Bulma-San, would you come in with me? Please?" not exactly frighten after doing a spread-eagle for Dr. Toga, all this doctor stuff was still new, and having an adult nearby—one who would offer kind words instead of lobbing insults and accusations—would be comforting.

"Of course, sweetheart. Let's meet Dr. Tauzon."

Bulma followed Pan back to the examining room, where Pan put on the crunch paper gown and sat, feet dangling over the edge of the examining table, waiting for the doctor.

Bulma had search far and wide to find a good doctor in West City, as Pan didn't want to go to Satan City to find a doctor. Bulma could understand the reason why, Videl was a doctor at Satan City hospital.

Through a few phone calls, Bulma was recommended Dr. Rachel Tauzon. She was young, well educated, and most importantly, not judgmental. Pan didn't need to hear anymore disparaging remarks about her moral character and since Dr. Tauzon had spent her internship delivering babies at an inner-city hospital where virally all her patients were under the age of twenty, examining a sixteen-year-old who was twelve weeks pregnant would just be another day at the office.

"Thank you again or finding me a doctor and taking care of everything."

In addition to finding an obstetrician, Bulma had a frank discussion with Gohan and Videl, who had in their fit of moral outrage had dropped Pan from their health insurance policy. After a twenty-minute debate on the Son's driveway, Bulma, backed up by her lawyer convinced them to reestablish Pan's insurance coverage. Not that it mattered financially. Bulma would happily have paid all of Pan's medical bills, but she didn't want Gohan and Videl to get away with such despicable behavior.

Pan was their daughter, not their employee, and even if they made her leave the family home, they couldn't make her leave the family. No matter what happened, Pan was their child, and Bulma was determined to make sure they didn't forget that.

As incensed as Bulma was on Pan's behalf, she held hope that someday, when the baby was born and Pan no longer looked like a pear, Gohan and Videl would come to their sense. That they would want to be a part of their daughter and grandchild's life. There was no doubt that Pan would happily run into their reproachful arms, forgiving and forgetting all their cruelty. Children were nothing if not resilient.

Bringing that fractured family back together was something Bulma desperately wanted to do; at this point though, she wasn't sure it could really happen. "You're welcome, but there's no need to thank me. What's the point of being the wealthiest person in the world if you can't throw you dough around and help those you really care for? You're a wonderful addition to you our household, and I'm sure it will work out in the end. Your parents are having a hard time with this. Not everybody is able to see the big picture and see beyond all the potholes that litter the road of life."

"I hope you're right. But I've never seen them this mad. I can't imagine they'll get over what I've done."

How long could she live with the Briefs family? It didn't seem like they would ask Pan to leave after the baby was born, but Pan couldn't stay there forever. So much to think about, and her brain seemed to be stuck in low gear, unable to plan more than a few days, or sometimes minutes into the future.

"I don't mean to sound like those awful inspirational TV show speakers. But I truly feel that everything works out eventually, even if it doesn't seem possible when you're in the middle of it. With every fiber of my being, I believe that they love you, very much, even if they can't show it right now."

"Thank you Bulma that makes me feel better," Pan said smiling as Bulma patted her hand.

The door opened. "Hi, I'm Dr. Tauzon. You must be Pan. A pleasure to meet you. And this is your…?" although she was fairly certain that had to be the grandmother, Dr. Tauzon had once grievously insulted the mother of a pregnant teen by assuming she was one generation more removed than she actually was. How was she supposed to know that the pregnant girl had been a change-of-life baby and the mother had given birth at the age of fifty-two, making her sixty-nine when she walked into Dr. Tauzon's office with her daughter? Lesson learned: never assume anything, especially with the rampant use of fertility drugs.

"I'm Bulma Briefs, a close friend of the family." Bulma scribbled on her notepad to remind herself to send Dr. Tauzon an email explaining the specifics of Pan's situation and suggesting that she could use some extra attention and understanding during this difficult time.

Dr. Tauzon's eyebrows rose but she said nothing. When a friend accompanied the patient, that usually meant there had been a brouhaha in the family over the unplanned pregnancy. The chart said sixteen, but this girl looked about fourteen.

Cutting to the chase, Dr. Tauzon said, "Dr. Toga sent me your ultrasound. The notes in your chart indicate that you hadn't quite yet made a decision about this pregnancy. You're about twelve weeks, are you going to terminate the pregnancy? If so, you're going to have to do so immediately. It's not easy to find someone to preform one, except for medical reasons, when you get much further along."

Pan took a deep breath. "I'm definitely having the baby," she said, hoping that each time she said it out loud she would be more certain that she made the right decision. Perhaps a few more times, and she would be there.

"Very good. So let's talk prenatal care. Are you taking vitamins?"

Pan nodded.

"That's good. And of course, you must eat well, because your baby eats what you eat. You don't look like a Pop-Tarts and Cheetos kind of girl, but keep in mind that you want to simply—lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Try to keep the salt down. That will keep the swelling at bay. Avoid caffeine, and of course no booze, no drugs, no smoking."

Dr. Tauzon ticked off on her fingers as she ran down the list of dos and don'ts she automatically recited to every expectant mother.

"I would never…." Pan was more than a little dismayed that this doctor thought she might drink or smoke or worse.

"Please don't be insulted. It's just boilerplate. I have to give that speech to everyone who comes through this office. I know you would never do anything to harm this child. You're very brave. Having a child at your age is a very difficult thing."

While Dr. Tauzon was tempted to throw in a few words about thinking more than five minutes into the future when some boy had his hand down your pants, she decided against it—once the horse was already out of the barn, what good would it do, especially with this girl? She didn't look like Dr. Tauzon's typical pregnant teen patient.

Something about the way she perched on the edge of the table, ankles crossed, and her hair pulled back in a tidy braided ponytail, no makeup—this girl screamed prudish. She must have gotten pregnant his first time. For a second, Dr. Tauzon wondered if she had been raped, because she didn't have the look of a girl who would get swept away by a little sweet talk and couple off Coors Lights.

But there was nothing on the chart about that, and Dr. Toga would certainly have noted such a situation. Some frat guy must have gotten her really drunk on wine coolers, which was ultimately irrelevant—knocked up was knocked up—but fascinating nonetheless.

Dr. Tauzon had yet to meet a teenager who had gotten the message that sex was a dangerous business, and five minutes of messing around really could change one's life forever.

"I'm not brave at all. I'm scared to death," Pan said to the doctor.

"You wouldn't be normal if you weren't afraid. I won't lie to you—it's not a walk in the park. But if it were that bad, no one would ever have more than one child, and the human race would have died out long ago." Dr. Tauzon smiled and patted Pan's shoulder.

"I guess that makes sense, but it's still scary."

"It's the great unknown. Not having any idea what to expect is daunting. You can read one of those month-by-month baby books, so you know what's happening to your body, but don't read too much and stay off the internet. And don't listen to all the horror stories people are bound to tell you about three-headed, twenty-pound babies covered with fur."

It was a mystery to Dr. Tauzon why otherwise well-intentioned people felt the need to share their _Guinness World Records_ carnival sideshow stories. Most of them probably weren't true anyway, and it was hard it imagine why anyone would want to make someone worry about a potential complication that they had probably never contemplated in the first place.

"Thank you, doctor," said Pan, grateful that Dr. Tauzon made jokes instead of bawling her out. When the doctor was warning her about drinking and smoking, Pan feared a morality lecture would follow, which was unnecessary since Pan delivered one to herself twice a day anyway.

"Look you're young, you're in good health. The odds are with you that you'll have a healthy baby, and I'm sure you'll be a wonderful mother," Dr. Tauzon said with much conviction as she could muster, as no sixteen-year-old she had ever taken care of turn out to be a wonderful mother—a teenager couldn't take care of a child when she was a child herself. But maybe this girl would be the exception.

Determined not to be a cynic, Dr. Tauzon sincerely hoped for the best ever time she had to tell a girl who was barely old enough to drive that she was going to be a mother.

"I really hope so, I hope to give this baby all the love in the world it deserves," Pan said thinking about her parents and vowing that she would be better than them.

"That's the right place to start, Pan. Do your parents support your decision?" Dr. Tauzon asked but had an assumption that she already knew the answer.

Pan shook her head no. "My parents kicked me out when I wouldn't get an abortion a few weeks ago at Dr. Toga's office. I wouldn't even have a place to live if Bulma and her family hadn't of took me in." Pan was able to say this without crying now, just barely.

Dr. Tauzon winced at hearing that this desperate girl's parents could be so cruel. Now all the pieces fell into place. "I'm sorry about that. You're lucky to have such a good friend. What about the father? Is he in the picture? Does he support you decision?" In Dr. Tauzon's experience, rarely did the dad wanted to keep the baby when the young mother wanted to as well.

"The father wants me to have an abortion. I haven't spoken to him since I told him he got me pregnant, so I don't think he really cares what happens, to the baby, or to me."

Every time she thought about Derrick, even so many months later, she kicked herself for not seeing through his gleaming paint job. Now it was obvious to her that he was all surface, but she had been bewitched, plain and simple. Wondering if she would ever stop punishing herself for her foolishness, Pan tried to keep the tears out of her voice. Daily floggings with her imaginary whip were such a waist of energy, and she knew they wouldn't fix anything, but she just couldn't help it.

The girl's pain was palpable, not knowing what could say that would make Pan feel any better; Dr. Tauzon simply patted Pan's hand and gave a reassuring smile.

**That it for now, I'll be seeing you all after the holidays :) Everyone have wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**

**Next chapter Goten and Pan have a little uncle, niece outing together.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone I hope you all had a great Christmas and are having a great New Year! I know I am. Anyway, over the Holidays I wrote five chapter so enjoy the treat :D**

**Guest: Goten is Seventeen. In the first chapter I put all their ages in my A/N here it is again, Pan and Bra are sixteen and Trunks is eighteen and they're all in different classes at Orange Star High. That's why they're not really all together at school. I hope that helps with your question. Oh and if you'd like to know, Goten's hairstyle is the way he had it on the very last Ep. of DBZ. I always liked that style better than how he had it on GT.**

*Chapter 10: A little family outing*

_Dear Baby,_

_You're sweet sixteen weeks and four and half inches long. Your nervous system works and you can yawn, but you're far from being done. My stomach isn't flat anymore, but nobody knows yet. No offense, but I'm not looking forward to the day when everyone at school finds out you're hiding in there. Someday when you're my age, you'll know how I feel. Uncle Goten called me; he wants to take me out so we can spend some time together and catch up on things. You'll like our uncle Goten, Baby. He's sweet, funny, and bit slow at times but he's great. He already loves you too. He calls you his baby niece or nephew. You're gonna have a lot of people to love on you besides me. Well I got to go now,_

_Love,_

_Mama_

Goten and Pan were walking around Satan City mall, Goten had just gotten his paycheck from Mr. Satan, his boss. Since Goten had entered high school he had been working in Mr. Satan's dojo, which paid really good money. Mr. Satan was really generous to Goten partly because he was family and because he really liked Goten which kinda made the other employees working for Mr. Satan jealous of him.

"So how's my Gramps doing, Goten?" Pan asked.

"He's fine, he misses you. He's been asking me where you've been, I told him you've been real busy. I wasn't sure if you wanted to tell me him about Baby niece or nephew so I didn't say anything," Goten told her.

"Thanks Goten, I don't know when I'm going spill the beans to him. I'm kinda scared what'll he'll think. I don't want him to be disappointed in me." Pan blinked back her tears. Having more family disowning her would drive Pan into breakdown she knew that for sure.

"I don't think he'd be disappointed in you Pan, you're his granddaughter and he'll love this baby because it's a part of you." Goten placed his hand on Pan's little bulge of a stomach and smiled at her.

"I really hope you're right, Goten."

"I am, Pan," Goten reassured her, "Alright, I want to treat my niece, so let's get you some new clothes." Goten said grinning and running over to the mall map.

"Goten you don't need to do that," Pan said but looked at herself in her stretchy workout pants and overly baggy hoodie.

"Hey, I want to do something nice for you, and what is an uncle/ like a big brother for if I can't spoil my favorite niece once and awhile?" Goten asked as they headed to Maternity Girls clothing store.

Pan raised an eyebrow, "I'm your only niece, Goten."

"Maybe not for long, there could be a girl in there," Goten grinned as Pan shook her head and rolled her eyes. Pan picked a few outfits she liked and made her way to the dressing room.

"So how have you're classes been Pan?" Goten asked from the other side of the dressing room door.

"Great, I can't wait to get my GED, but I probably can't go to Princeton or Oxford since I have to take care of Baby. So when we graduate, I'll most likely be going to Orange Star University." Thinking about going to a university where her father was a professor kinda made her shutter. Would he even talk to or even acknowledge she was there?

"Well I still wouldn't give up on those universities, Pan. You should still apply and see if you get accepted and when Baby gets a bit older, you could probably go to one of those colleges."

"Maybe you're right, Goten. What about you, what college are you planning to apply to?"

"Well I'm applying to OSU and NYU," Goten told her, "Orange Star would be great because I could keep my job at Mr. Satan's dojo, and NYU would be cool. I could see the states and possibly come back with an American accent," Goten laughed.

Pan came out of the dressing room, "Well, which ever University you end up at, I wish you nothing but the best uncle Goten," Pan said and gave him a hug.

Goten hugged her back before giving her a reassuring pat on the back. Growing up, Pan was like the little sister he never had, and seeing what she was going through for the past few months was paining him as well and he wished he could knock some sense into Gohan and Videl and kill the loser who hurt his little niece. It was bad enough have the bastard in almost all his classes at school and he couldn't do anything to the fucking prick.

Both taking a big breath, they let go and smiled at each other, "Hey that looks great on you Pan," Goten said looking at Pan's new outfit a light blue long-sleeved blouse and her stretch denim jeans.

"I feel like a balloon that's growing every second, Goten. I don't look great an anything, but thanks anyway," Pan said patting his shoulder and going back to change back into her clothes.

An hour later, Pan found everything she needed and they made their way to the counter, "Hello, thank you for shopping at Maternity Girl. Is this everything?"

Pan nodded.

"So when's the little guy or girl due?" asked the cashier, who looked to be in her early twenties.

"Sometime in April," Pan answered.

"Awe that's nice, you and your boyfriend must really be excited," she said smiling at Pan and Goten. Rarely did she see a teenage couple still together after the news of an unplanned pregnancy—as she was guessing—or willing to take the responsibility of raising the child together.

Goten and Pan just stood the blinking, trying to process what the girl said. Pan started giggling, "Oh wow, that's a new one." Goten started laughing as well making the lady at the counter very confused.

"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. She's my niece," Goten explained.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I just assumed," the cashier said feeling embarrassed.

"It's okay, most everybody mistaken us for siblings—we get that a lot cause we're so close in age—so it's no big deal," Pan told the girl as Goten paid for clothes.

Several hours and three stores later, Goten and Pan were in the food court ordering some Panda Express®. They made it to a table far enough away from the crowd of people and so they would get so many stares from the amount of food they were eating.

"You think you're ever gonna run you own Dojo Goten?" Pan asked before taking a bite of her egg roll.

"I might, I mean I really enjoy doing it. So who knows?" Goten shrugged and started chowing down really fast. While everyone else would be grossed out by this, Pan was used to it. Goten wasn't as bad as her grandfather and Vegeta together at the dining table.

"So how have things been for you? Are the Briefs treating you well?"

Pan wiped her mouth with her napkin and smiled at her uncle, "Things are okay…for the most part and the Briefs are treating me like I'm a member of the family. Bulma-San is really good to me, giving me comfort and advise when I need it, Mrs. Briefs is really spoiling me with all her delicious food, Bra is Bra as always, so is Vegeta and Trunks has been really helpful, driving to and from school, studying together. He's been the friend I've really needed these past few weeks."

"Sounds like things are alright then," said Goten.

Pan shrugged, "I guess so, but it would be better if my parents would start talking to me again and would forgive me," Pan said sadly.

Goten sighed inwardly, seeing Pan sad was pissing him off. He couldn't understand why Gohan and Videl were being so cold about this. It wasn't like Pan had committed murder; she was bringing life into the world not taking it. He even tried reasoning with Gohan after his brother was finished with his lectures at OSU.

***Flashback***

Goten was in Gohan's office waiting for him show and give his brother a piece of his mind. Goten would have told his father what was going on if Pan had not begged him not to tell his parents. Goten was brought out of his thoughts when he heard voice outside.

"Thank you Miss Evens, I look at these right away." Goten heard Gohan say and the door opened and Gohan came in.

Gohan was surprised to see his little brother sitting at his desk but it didn't take long to realize what Goten was doing here, he wanted to talk about Pan and Gohan was in no mood for.

"I need to talk you Gohan."

Gohan shook his head, "I busy Goten, so if you please," Gohan said motioning for the door.

"Not until we talk about why you're being such a jerk to you own daughter. What the heck is wrong with you? Treating her like a common stranger instead of you own flesh and blood." Goten was keeping his temper in line, it was taking all his will power not to knock some sense into older brother by beating the crap out of him.

"How I deal with this situation is none of your concern Goten. Pan is _my_ daughter and I will deal with this I see fit and when you have a daughter of your own, then you can come talk to me." Gohan opened the door and waited for Goten to get the hint.

"I might not be a father, but I know you're not supposed to treat your child the way you're treating Pan." Goten got up from the desk, knowing Gohan wasn't going to listen and headed for the door. "One day you're going to regret every harsh, cold word you've uttered to Pan and when you do, I just hope Pan will still have the heart to forgive you and Videl." Goten walked out of Gohan's office and out of Orange Star University.

***End Flashback* **

He hadn't talked to Gohan since then and he wasn't planning on talking to him anytime soon.

"I really don't know what to tell you Pan. I'm sure you've already gotten the 'they come around' speech already."

"It's okay Goten you don't have to say anything, it just nice to know that you're here," Pan said gave him a pat on the hand.

They finished their meal and headed out the mall. When they got to the parking lot, Goten spotted someone that made his blood boil over.

There stood Derrick Warner by his truck with a new girl at arm. It was bad enough seeing the bastard at school in almost all his classes and he couldn't just beat the shit out of him. Now he really wanted to whale in on the guy for hurting his niece but thought better of it, maybe he could catch the guy when they were out of public view.

Goten really hoped that there would be a happy ending to Pan's life story.

**Next chapter everyone at school finds out about Baby.**


	11. Chapter 11

*Chapter 11: Son's pregnant!?*

_Dear Baby,_

_Today was one of the worst days of my life, and I probably shouldn't be even telling you that, because it's not your fault, it's mine, and I should be stronger already, considering everything that's happened and all that's yet to come. The thing is, sweet Baby, they know about you. My baggy sweatshirt isn't baggy enough to hide you anymore, and you're no longer my little secret. I've never been so humiliated in my life, and I'm not sure which part is worse, that everybody knows I did the *cough!* with someone (I should probably blab that Derrick's your daddy—at least that would distract those mean girls while they try to figure out why the handsome prince decided to throw a bone to the slimy frog) or that I was dumb enough to get pregnant. It's probably the second part, because all those girls who were talking about me have probably done it, way more than once. They were just smarter about it than I was. I don't know how I'm going to go back tomorrow._

_I love you so much Baby,_

_Mama._

After eighteen weeks and no whispers, Pan had almost forgotten to worry about the shit hitting the fan when her bump bumped. Wearing sweatpants and oversized sweatshirts Trunks had given her; the Capsule Corp logo on most of them, Pan was playing the role of hardcore senior who was too busy writing college essays and studying for her AP classes to waste time on grooming.

So far she'd done a good job camouflaging her slowly ballooning figure, because no one had uttered a word—not a single comment from anyone about one too many Hershey bars, or too much reading and not enough running—and thankfully seniors didn't have to take gym class. Either her disguise was working, or Bra and the entire student body, were being incredibly diplomatic. Not a likely scenario.

But on the third of her nineteenth week, Pan was in the bathroom before school, where she was spending an inordinate amount of time these days, when her big fat ship hit the iceberg.

A break-off heard of girls from Derrick's popular planet ambled in. the school hadn't yet begun, but it was time to reapply their eyeliner and lip-gloss before first period.

Crowding each other in front of the mirror, each certain that she was by far the hottest girl in school, they pretended that actually liked each other.

Popular girl 1: "So did you hear the news?"

Popular girl 2: "What news?"

Popular girl 1: "Son Pan is up the duff."

In a panic, Pan lifted her feet off the tile floor and held her breath. If they discovered she was in the bathroom, they might strip her down to see if it was just gossip or she was in fact packing a little person. The single blessing of obscurity in this whole unblessed event had just blown up in her face.

Popular girl 3: "What? That's impossible. Straight-A, so-perfect-her-shit-doesn't-stink Son Pan?"

Popular girl 1: "That's the one."

Popular girl 3: "No way. Her mother hosted one of those save yourself for marriage meetings at our school last year and was teaching kids to keep it in their pants. Son won't be spreading her legs until her wedding night, if them."

Popular girl 4: "So who's the babydaddy?"

Popular girl 1: "I heard it was Trunks Briefs. He popped her cherry during summer vacation."

Pan covered her mouth with her hands to keep from screaming.

Popular girl 2: "Trunks Briefs, the heir to the Capsule Corporation? Somebody's definitely yanking your chain."

Popular girl 1: "Maybe, but they do hang out a lot and she's the only girl he talks to. Plus Son is best friends with his bitchy sister, maybe she hooked them up. Either way, we'll know soon enough. It's not like she'll be able to suck it in for nine months."

Popular girl 4: "She has been dressing like a chunky rug muncher lately. I thought maybe she was practicing for one of those women colleges."

Popular girl 1: "Why don't you just ask her?"

Popular girl 4: "Why don't you?"

Popular girl 1: "Because I don't give a shit if she fucked every member of the chest club and is hauling around triplets."

Popular girl 2: "If she's got a kid in there, it had to be an immaculate conception. No one but the gods could be poking Son."

Popular girl 3: "Whatever."

Popular girl 3 didn't give a rat's ass what a charter member of the geek squad was up to when she wasn't changing the batteries in her calculator. In her thousand-friend Facebook universe, high school was for looking good, getting hammered, and hooking up, not gossiping about losers who sat at the front of the class with their lips permanently attached to some teacher's fat ass.

When Pan didn't think she could hold it in a second longer, the bell rang and the demons posing as high school girls left. Burying her face in Trunks' sweatshirt, she didn't move. The graffiti-decorated stall—it was only a matter of days until her life story figured prominently in the scribbles on the metal walls surrounding her—felt like the only safe place in the building. Sitting on the toilet, Pan wept bitter tears of the of her loss dignity, the loss of her family, the loss of her flat stomach, and most of all, for the loss of the person she used to be and knew she never be again.

The late bell rang, and Pan sat up, blowing her nose with a piece of toilet paper. Who ratted her out? Bra had a big mouth, but Pan knew she would sooner cut out her own tongue than sell out her best friend. Derrick? No way. His name wasn't mentioned once in the bathroom conversation, and except Goten, the Briefs, the doctors and her parents, nobody else was in the loop. It had to be the sweats.

Stupidly believing that miles of cotton fleece would be the perfect smokescreen, Pan had unwittingly outed herself. Coming out of the stall, she examined herself in the lipstick-streaked mirror hanging on the tile wall. That was definitely it. She started to laugh at her reflection, this person she hardly recognized anymore, wondering why Bra or Trunks or Goten or Bulma hadn't said anything.

Unlike her parents, who had no qualms about telling her exactly what they thought of her, those four people loved her so much that either they didn't see the Jabba the Hutt she had become, or if they did, they had the good sense to know that pointing out a blemish that couldn't be covered with Maybelline Cover Stick would at best a worthless exercise.

And the worst of all of this was that now Trunks was getting dragged into her shit hole and that was the last thing she wanted to do to him. What would he say or do if he find out, which was liable to happen soon. When rumors got out they spread like wildfire.

Not sure what else to do next, Pan stared at the floor, as if the answer could be found in the grimy grey tiles. Spending the day in the girls' bathroom wouldn't solve any of her problems, and she couldn't hide out in the stall till the baby was born.

Retrieving her backpack from the hook behind the door, Pan took one last look in the mirror and went to class, or war, or whatever the day would bring.

"Come in, Pan. You're late. Where's your pass?" Miss Collins stood in front of the whiteboard, marker poised.

She hadn't been late to class before, and no one had ever asked her for a pass. If a student like Pan was tardy, there had to be a good reason, so a note from the office would be a waste of paperwork.

"I'm sorry Miss Collins, I don't have one. I was in the restroom."

Twenty-three snickers combined into a single deafening guffaw. "Whatever. Take your seat, and next time try to take care of your business at home."

Resuming the lecture, Miss Collins droned about skinner boxes and operant conditioning. Collapsing into her seat accompanied by a second round of sniggering, Pan dug out her notebook and pen and pretended to listen to the teacher. If her not-so-delicate condition was obvious to her classmates, didn't that mean that teachers, who were certainly smarter and less self-absorbed than their students, most have solved the whodunit…or whodidher? That would explain the unprecedented request for a late pass and the snide comment.

The bell finally rang, ending Miss Collin's attack on video games as modern examples of Skinner boxes, destroying Japan's youth and threatening to become the one-way ticket to last place for Japan. "For your sake, for the sake of this country, you people need to rethink your priorities. Our futures depend on it. Check the syllabus for your homework. Class dismiss."

Miss Collins turned to erase her whiteboard on preparation for the next round of fertile young minds. It was only 8:30 A.M., and she didn't know how she was going to make it through the morning, let alone the five years she had to endure until she could retire with a pension.

"Booooo!"

"You just haven't found the right joystick, Miss Collins."

"Don't be such noob!"

"If you'd ever fragged someone, you wouldn't be saying that."

"This class is such a total wankfest!"

Slamming her hand down hard on her desk, Miss Collins turned to face the class and spoke through her teeth. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Such disrespect didn't exist twenty-five year ago. You're a bunch of animals. Not worth my time. Get out of my classroom."

Too curious to leave it alone and also wanting to apologize to Miss Collins for being late—she was still a good girl, no matter what her uterus said—Pan stopped in front of Miss Collins' desk. "I'm sorry I was late this morning. I had the start of a migraine or something. It won't happen again."

"I hope not. You and your associates need to get your collective acts together. You're seniors, not a bunch of wide-eyed freshmen who don't know up from down. It's so disappointing for us as teachers to see young people throwing their lives away like empty soda cans. Squandering one's gifts is an unforgivable sin. Do you understand that, Pan?" Miss Collins stared not at Pan's face, but her stomach. Maybe she was reading Moscow institute of Physics and Technology, or maybe she was trying to decide if Pan looked any fatter than she'd looked a few weeks earlier.

Close to melting down, Pan just nodded. Second period students began trickling in, and Pan blinked back her tears. Another bell rang, but instead of going to her next class, Pan lumbered towards the office. Having inadvertently mutated into one of those disappointing young people the teachers were wasting their precious time on, Pan knew would need a late pass to get to AP English.

**Man poor Pan :( Next chapter Pan's going to lose it through the pressure of it all and crack. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Alright everyone I've counted the votes and the baby's gender will be revealed in chapter 13**

*Chapter 12: The break down*

School had become a walking, talking living nightmare. Based on how Pan felt every day since she'd come out of the closet, or the bathroom stall, she would gladly stick pins in her eyes if it meant she could stay home. But what was the alternative? Dropping out like those girls on TV, talking classes online so she could get her GED. Dropping out of high school in the middle of her senior year because she couldn't take the whispers and smirks was beyond chickenshit. At some point they had to get bored of her, had to get tired of smiling hypocritically, asking if her and Briefs were getting married anytime soon, suggesting names for the baby—"Loser" worked for a boy or a girl.

Within a week, everyone from the night janitor to the U.S. transfer student who only spoke three words of Japanese knew about the Girl Scout who'd gotten stroked by Rich Boy Briefs. Rumors spread faster than the flu at Orange Star High, and moral demise of a member of the National Honor Society and an AP Scholar was far more interesting than someone in the vocational training getting knocked up. That would be business as usual; this was news.

Pan used to feel like she was the only who hadn't done it, but now she felt like she was the only one who had. Her slowly expanding stomach advertised her moral depravity and was reflected in the condescending shares and snickers of those either smarter or luckier than she had been. Even girls she thought were her friends were blowing her off.

"Hi Jade," Pan said to the girl standing at the locker next to hers. They had been lab partner in biology, teammates on the mathletes, and had known each other elementary school. Jade didn't answer, just put her books away and zipped up her backpack.

"Jade, what's the matter?" Pan pleaded.

"Slut!" Jade said in a loud whisper. Without another word, Jade who wasn't even part of the cool crowd, who Pan had always thought was a sweet, compassionate person, turn and walked away, leave Pan standing there wanting to cry. Even her fellow geeks were abandoning ship.

Every night, Bra spent an hour in Pan's room, trying to convince her to give up Derrick. "Why are you protecting him? He's a first class douchebag. He'd stab you in the back without a second thought. You get that, don't you?"

"I do, but…."

"But what? You're not still into him, are you? Dick can't be that powerful. Besides, you said it wasn't even any good." Sex was still a mystery to Bra, but she couldn't imagine anything on earth could command that kind of authority over a brain with an IQ of 145.

Pan cringed. Tact, subtlety, and sensitivity were not part of Bra makeup. "It has nothing to do with that. I hate him. I hate every part of him, including _that_ part of him." As Bra had so succinctly pointed out, if she could allow his junk inside her, she should be able to say the word for it out loud, but it still stuck in her throat.

"Well that's good news. So what's the problem? If you tag him as your sperm donor, I guarantee you there will be significant heat transfer to his sorry ass. Can you imagine? No one has any idea that the biggest man on campus is the one who stole your v-card and planted his seed. People will be talking about it for years, like where you were when you found out Michael Jackson died."

"But that's exactly my point. If I tell the world that Derrick is the father, that'll just add fuel to the fire. They'll talk about how Derrick had to fuck me for community service or how he was trying to win a bet about whether or not my vagina was stabled shut. The possibilities are endless and horrible."

"It would be so worth it, though, to see Derrick get dragged through the mud. He deserves to suffer." Bra rubbed her hands together gleefully at the thought of Derrick being burned in effigy at the homecoming game.

"You just don't get it. No matter what, I'm going to be the villain in this story, and Derrick's always going to be the hero—it's simple genetics. Besides, even if I did tell them Derrick's the father, they probably most likely will not believe me because they already think Trunks is the father."

"Dose my brother know they're pegging him as your babydaddy?" Bra asked.

"I don't know but if he does, he doesn't show he knows, Trunks is probably being nice as always to me by not correcting them. I just feel so bad that he had to get dragged into my mess as well."

"Yeah well knowing my brother, if they asked him, he wouldn't skip a beat telling them he was your babydaddy, that's how much he likes you. But I really think you're giving up too easily here, Pan. You should still tell them Derrick's the fucking father and let him sit on the hot coals for a long time. You can't be sure that all those horrible things you were thinking might be how it's actually going to play out."

"This coming from the person who didn't think that we, co-captains of the math team with matching 4.9 averages, were geeks. Shows you how much in touch with reality you are."

Glaring at Pan, Bra was determined to straighten her best friend out. "I love you, Pan, like a sister, but you need to pull you head out of your ass and realize that high school isn't the fucking Academy Awards, and those small-minded assholes you're so afraid of aren't the Oscar winners you think they are. They're not even extras in the movie that is our life. They're the real losers who just haven't gotten the memo yet. But they will, and when they do, you and I, will be collecting our diplomas from the best high rated colleges and deciding which six-figure job we should take. So, Pan, you're the one who needs to get in touch with reality."

"I want you to be right," Pan whispered, "I need you to be right."

"Don't worry I am," Bra said with her unshakable confidence.

The weeks that followed were the worst for poor Pan, now that the word was out, she stopped wearing the baggy sweats and started wearing the clothes Goten had bought for her and now dirty looks and snide insults uttered in harsh tones had been replaced with outright rubbernecking and really loud cheap shots: "Nice abs, Son!" and when she was in the cafeteria, "Wow you hauling octuplets? What's with the truck load of food?" and when she walked down the halls, "Beep! Beep! Beep!" like the sound of a truck backing up.

Nobody thought it was bullying because being pregnant wasn't like having a stutter or a lazy eye—getting knocked up had been Pan's fault. She had gotten herself into this fix and now she had to stand there and take it.

The teachers weren't that sympatric either, they gave her disappointed looks. One even out right told her she was a disappoint to him as a teacher. The torcher went on day after grueling day, spending a lot of her spare time in the girls' bathroom crying her eyes out.

But the day before Halloween was the last straw. When she walked down the hall, the crowed parted; everyone wanted to get a good look at her but no wanted to touch her, like pregnancy was contagious. She heard the laughter and turned only to be hit by fun size candy bars by several means girls from the cool crowed.

"Trick or Treat, Son. You need to eat for two you know, fatass," the main cool girl laughed followed by her evil clones.

With eyes shiny with tears, face bright red, Pan ran out of the school with the echoes of laughter ringing in her ears. She flew out of the city and into the outskirts letting all the bitter tears out.

She couldn't take it anymore, thinking about how Derrick tricked her, her parents rejecting her and now being the butt all those cruel kids' jokes. Pan let out a scream loud enough to break glass, not realizing her hair and eyes were flashing golden and teal.

She gathered her energy and blasted the shit out of a mountain, thinking about everyone who had hurt her as fuel to keep blasting.

Trunks was waiting for Pan, but after ten minutes of waiting he started to worry and search for her ki. She wasn't anywhere near the school but outside the city and her ki was spiking up and down dangerously. He got out of his car, capsulized it and flew off to find Pan.

Trunks landed a distance away and saw Pan blasting away at cliff and boulders, her was flashing blonde, which surprised Trunks. She must be really angry if she was turning into a super saiyan. He made his way over to her.

"Pan, what happened? Why are you so angry?" Trunks asked.

"Go away, Trunks. I don't want to talk about it, just leave me be," Pan said and blasted some more.

"But you need to calm down. This isn't healthy for you or the baby," Trunks started and tried to pat Pan on the shoulder.

"I said leave me ALONE!" Pan screamed and her energy flared up so much it knocked Trunks off his feet and blew him a couple of feet away from her.

Trunks got back up and grabbed Pan trying to calm her down, "You need to stop it right now Pan! What happened today that's gotten you so mad?"

"Let go of me!" Pan shouted and punched Trunks hard in the gut and he fell to the ground grunting in pain.

Trunks got back up slowly and held his stomach and spoke, "I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well talk to me about it."

Pan's ki spiked up once again and her hair flashed blonde again, "I can't take it anymore! I just want to end it all."

Trunks eyes widen, was she talking about committing suicide? "You don't mean that."

"Yes I do, I can't take this anymore. Ending it all will be a relief, it's not like my parents will care if I was dead or alive or anyone for that matter." Pan was on the verge of tears.

Trunks took a step closer, "That's not true, Goten would care so would Bra and my mother and the rest of my family and your grandparents and… me." Trunks put his hand on Pan's shoulder, "You're not alone Pan, we're here for you, I'm here for you."

Pan started crying and Trunks held her in a hug, "Just let it all out Pan, I'm right here to catch you."

Pan cried and screamed letting everything she bottled up for the past few weeks out. Rocks started crushing underneath hers and Trunks' feet as her energy blew the rocks and their hair up but none of it hit Trunks in the face.

Pan let out a louder scream and a light engulfed both saiyans. When it cleared, Pan's hair was golden and her tear stained eyes were teal before they fell back to normal.

"Do you feel better?" Trunks asked, and Pan nodded. She was taking deep breaths before she started feeling dizzy and everything went black.

"Pan? Pan? Pan?" Trunks gently patted Pan's cheek trying to wake her up. She had passed out.

He looked at the passed out girl in is arms. Trunks wished he could protect her from every harsh word ever spoken to her, from those shallow hypocritical kids at school. He wished he could take her sadness and pain away. He didn't know it there, but he was falling in love with Pan.

"Trunks?" someone's voice called out bringing Trunks out of his thoughts. He turned to see someone he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Goku?!"

Pan woke up to find herself in her bedroom at Capsule Corp. Had the day just been a nightmare and she didn't really have a breakdown?

"Hi sfeethurt," Pan jumped when she heard a voice in her room, but when she looked around, there sat her grandpa Goku on the chair next to her bed eating a plate of food and smiling at her.

"Grandpa? What are you…?"

Goku swallowed his food and spoke, "Your ki skyrocket earlier today and I thought you were in danger so I flew off to find you and when I got there, you were passed out and Trunks was carrying you. He told me everything that been going on."

Pan looked at her hands, "So you know about the baby?" she asked waiting for the disappointed tone in her grandfather's voice.

"Yes, so I'm going to be a great-grandfather? I wish you would have told me Pan-Cake."

Pan looked up from her hand and saw her grandfather was disappointed or angry but was smiling at her. "You mean you don't mind that I'm having a baby, you're not disappointed in me, grandpa? You're not gonna yell at me?"

"No, why would I yell at you? I was shock for sure, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to give you a lecture. What's done is done and I'm happy I'm going to be a great-grandfather even if it is a little early." Goku grinned at her.

Pan let a few tears escape, "I wish mom and dad took the news like you are, grandpa."

"I thought things were kinda fishy with Gohan and Videl," Goku said scratching his head, "They have been avoiding us or coming up with excuses every time your grandmother and I wanted to invite you guys over for dinner.

"They kicked me out when I refused to have an abortion. I just couldn't do it, grandpa. I might have screwed up, but that not the baby's fault. I didn't want to kill my own flesh and blood." Pan started crying and Goku came over and embraced his granddaughter in a hug.

"Shhh. It's okay Pan-Cake, you did the right thing and that's what gonna make you a great mother." Goku kissed the top of her forehead and rocked to and fro.

"Does grandma know?"

"She had her suspicions. Do want me to tell her?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, you can tell her." Being in her grandfather arms was such a comfort for Pan; she missed him so much and was so happy he didn't hate her for having a baby. She felt like a little girl again, knowing she was loved and safe with her grandpa Goku.

"I love you grandpa."

"I love you too Panny."

**Next chapter is Thanksgiving dinner at the Briefs home.**


	13. Chapter 13

*Chapter 13: Thanksgiving*

_Dear Baby,_

_Happy Thanksgiving! You're twenty weeks old. The doctor says you're six inches long, and you can hear things. So now you know what my voice sounds like and that I listen to a lot of Avril Lavigne in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, which happens a lot. I can feel you wiggling around inside me. It's not time for you to come out yet, so just relax. The doctor told me that you're a boy, and I cried. Not because I was sad, but because now I know I'm having a son, my perfect baby boy. The doctor also notice something else moving around where your little wee-wee's at. She was so confused to what it was because your hands were on your chest. But I know what it is and I can't help smiling. It's your tail! You have a tail! It makes me happy because I thought your human blood would have diluted the ability to grow a tail. Your mommy was born with a tail as well as your great-grandpa Goku, uncle Goten and my father… you grandfather Gohan. I hope you'll get to meet him Baby but I'm not really sure when that'll be. Your grandpa's kinda mad right now so it might be a while before you'll get to meet your grandpa and grandma, so we just have to hang on till then. Wow now that I know you're a boy I have to think of some names for you but I can't think of any right now so how about we just keep it at Baby for now. Remember how much I love you and how sorry I did this backwards but I promise to be the best mother I can ever be and maybe someday I can find you a daddy who is worthy to be your daddy._

_Love,_

_Mama_

When Pan walked into the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning, Mrs. Briefs was rolling out a piece of pastry for a piecrust and Bulma was sitting on a stool at the counter polishing the silverware. An assortment of copper pots bubbled away on the oversized range, and the air smelled like cinnamon and coffee and vanilla.

As much as she tried to block the thoughts, Pan couldn't help wondering what her parents were doing. It was nine o' clock, was her mother making Thanksgiving dinner or were they not celebrating this year? How could it have been this long and her parents will still not talking to her? It made Pan both sad and angry. Maybe if she was living on the streets, strung on heroin instead of pregnancy hormones, they could find I their hearts to forgive her. _No don't go there_, she warned herself. Determined not to ruin the day, Pan stomped on all her bad thoughts and vowed to live in the moment, to appreciate all the good things she had. It was Thanksgiving, after all.

"Good morning, Mrs. Briefs. It smells amazing in here. Bulma-san, Goten called me and told me him and my grandparents are coming over for Thanksgiving."

"I'm so glad, I know this must be difficult day for you, and having some of your family over should brighten things up for you."

Earlier that week, Bulma had driven over to Mt. Pazou to invite Gohan and Videl over to Capsule Corp for Thanksgiving dinner. The silent treatment was going on way too long, and it was time for Gohan and Videl to start acting like adults. Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect opportunity to put the past behind and make a fresh start. But although Bulma could hear footsteps on the other side of the door, no one answered, and after ten minutes of knocking and doorbell ringing, she gave up and drove off back home. Pan's parents had to have gone crazy—there was no other explanation.

Pan shrugged. "I'm okay. Every day it gets easier being away from my parents."

That was a lie, but Pan was commented to making it true because she didn't have a choice in the matter, and it was a waste of time and energy ruminating over a situation that was out of her control. She had begged, literally on her knees, for their forgiveness, and they had slammed the door in her face. Since that awful day, she had left three notes in their mailbox saying that she loved them and was sorry for what she had done, basically repeating what she had told them that very first night, hoping that the passage of time might have softened their seemingly impenetrable otter shells. But there had been no response, and it looked like the cold war was going to continue through the winter.

"I'm sure that's not true, darling, but you've done your best to mend the rift, and now we simply have to wait for your parents to find their way out of the woods. Remember, the only behavior you can control is your own."

"I know Bulma, but I just wish I could make them understand why I'm doing this. Why don't they get it? They raised me to think like this, and then they went and changed all the rules." Pan's voice cracked and she turned away, wiping her tear with her sleeve.

Putting down her polishing cloth, Bulma came around the kitchen island and put her arms around Pan. "Shhh. They'll figure it out eventually. Common, sit down and have a little breakfast. Mama and I were about to take a coffee break."

"Thank you Bulma-San, for everything," Pan whispered into Bulma's soft sweater.

"It's a privilege, sweetie, and my pleasure," Bulma whispered back.

"Good morning. Happy Thanksgiving ladies. Did I miss the group hug?" Trunks put his arms around Bulma and Pan, kissing them each on the cheek. The feel of his hand on Pan's back and the smell of his shampoo made her pulse speed up just a little bit, it frightened her,

"Good morning Trunky," Bulma said pinching his cheek, making Trunks blush with embarrassment, "Pan and I were having a moment. Holidays are kind of emotional. Speaking of which, where's your sister?"

"Probably her room, trying to figure out for billionth what to wear today," Trunks said rolling his eyes.

"Actually _Trunky _it didn't take that long to find something to wear FYI. Happy Turkey Day everybody," Bra said coming into the kitchen ignoring the look Trunks gave her for calling him Trunky. She grabbed herself a cup of coffee and headed to the living room where her father was most likely was watching TV. Trunks poured himself some coffee and sat down across from Pan.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked, sounding more parental then he intended.

"Not yet." Pan blushed, not sure why such a neutral question would provoke such a response. "I'm going to have some cereal. I'm fine. I just woke up."

"Eat," Bulma ordered. "Mama and I made a quiche this morning, and we're all going to have some."

After breakfast, Bulma excused herself. "I think I'm gonna give Chichi a call, I know there coming over but I think I'd like to do a little gossiping before they get here and when I'm doing that, why don't you and Pan set the table. The cloth is already on. The dishes are on the sideboard. You just need to rinse the silver first. Otherwise everything will taste like Tarn-X. There will be ten of us—your grandparents, your father and me, and Goku and Chichi make six adults then there's you four kids."

In the dining room, Pan and Trunks walked around the table, arranging cutlery, plates, and glasses.

"Your grandmother's dishes are so lovely." Pan held a cut crystal wineglass up to the light.

"She does. It's nice that your grandparents and Goten are coming over," Trunks said, not particularly interested in his grandmother's dishes or the guest list, but feeling awkward in Pan's presence. Small talk set his teeth on edge, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Bulma thought having them over here would make the holiday a little easier…since my parents aren't around."

"That's a good idea."

"It is, but she didn't need to. I feel so close to you… and to your family. It's weird, but you've become my family these last few months."

The pause wasn't lost on Trunks, and he smiled, although when she said family, he hoped she didn't think of him as a brother.

"I'm glad. When we finish here, do you want to go for a walk?" Maybe his tongue would untie itself if he exposed it to a blast of cold air.

"Before…my dad and I always used to go for long walks on Thanksgiving Day."

"Then we don't have to go. I don't want to stir up any bad memories for you."

"No, it was all good. I'd love to go for a walk with you, Trunks Briefs."

The sky was a silvery grey, and only a few brave leaves still clung to the branches as Pan and Trunks walked up the trail in the West City central park. It reminded Pan of the trails her and Gohan would hike up at Mt. Pazou.

Pan looked up at the sky. "It feels like it might snow if it were just a little colder."

"Are you warm enough? Here, take my coat." Trunks started taking off his jacket.

"No, Trunks, I'm perfectly warm. But thank you. What planet do you come from? No boy has ever tried to give me his coat before."

"I don't think lending you my jacket is exactly going out on a limb. It's not like I'm offering you a kidney or something." If it ever came up, Trunks was fairly sure he would, but Pan didn't need to know that right now.

"But you're so good to me. You're always thinking about what I might need or want." Pan was on a fishing expedition out at the reservoir, hoping Trunks might give her a hint as to his real feelings. Was he simply the most thoughtful person on the planet, or was it something more? Not daring to hope that it could be something more than just good breeding, Pan tried to find the right words to force the issue without sounding like she was making a play for him.

"I'm good to you because we friends," Trunks said simply, afraid to say anything more explicit.

In the weeks and months since they had become unlikely housemates, Trunks had tried to find things wrong with Pan in a useless effort to contain his rapidly growing feels for her. But more closely examined her, the more smitten he became. Her uncertainty and her vulnerability highlighted her strength of character. Her blossoming body was incredibly feminine and sexy. Her quiet sorrow over her undeserving parents showed how honorable and loyal she was.

"I think you my _best_ friend these days. Don't get me wrong, I love Bra to death, but sometimes I think she's kind of annoyed with me for not going through with the abortion. In her mind, I made my life ridiculously complicated for no good reason. I wish I could make her understand."

They had reached steep part of the path, and Trunks took Pan's hand to guide her. If she fell, he would never forgive himself. When the trail flatten again, he didn't let go and she didn't either.

"It's a very personal decision, and what's right for one person may not be right for everybody," Trunks said.

"You should be hanging out at the embassy with the other diplomats. What would _you_ do if you were sixteen and pregnant? Or your girlfriend was?"

Trunks stopped walking and took Pan's other hand so they stood facing each other.

"I would love her and stand by her, whatever she decided to do, because we're in this together." He had purposely switched tenses, hoping Pan might pick up on his subliminal suggestion that _he_ wanted to be the one standing by her.

"Oh." A single tear rolled down Pan's cheek as she stared up at Trunks, hating herself for not waiting for someone who looked at her the way Trunks was looking at her at that moment. A lifetime of thoughtful decisions abandoned on a balmy evening on a county road, and now she was looking at the face of what should have been her future, but now could never be. Even if Trunks and Bulma could accept her many imperfections, she wasn't sure she could.

Trunks leaned over and kissed Pan's cheek. It would have been so easy to kiss her sweet mouth, to telegraph his longing to be something more than just her other best friend. But something stopped him. So disoriented, Pan would probably kiss him back, but what would it mean? Better to be patient and be sure.

When Trunks drew back, Pan exhaled slowly and looked at the ground. She had been sure he would kiss her on the lips. When Trunks gazed into her eyes, she felt as if they were the only two people on earth, but she had obviously misunderstood. It happened before. Derrick's adoring looks had been vacant promises. Best friend would have to do. It was better than nothing.

Trunks just wished he could tell her how he felt about her. That there was no other girl in the world like her. That he was falling for her.

"Well I think we should head home now." Trunks held out his hand to Pan and she took it, knowing that she should be grateful for this special friendship, instead of wasting time wishing it could be something more. No boy on earth, not even one as sensitive, caring and mature as Trunks, would hitch his wagon to a girl who had someone else's bun in her oven. She knew she had no right to expect a miracle.

"Panny!" Chichi squealed when Pan and Trunks came into the front room, where Goten and her grandparents were sitting with Bulma.

Chichi got up from the sofa and embraced Pan in a hug, "How's my grandbaby doing?"

Pan shrugged. "I'm fine grandma," Pan told her grandmother, smiling lightly.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Pan-Cake!" Goku said giving Pan a hug and light pat on the head. Pan smiled up at him, she could always count on her grandfather for a smile and make her feel happy again, even it was for a moment.

"You two back just in time," Bulma said getting up from the couch, "We're all about to head to the dining room. Thanksgiving dinner's ready."

Thanksgiving dinner at the Briefs home was similar to Thanksgiving at her grandparents' home, save the fancy dishes, glasses and silverware. Because it was a holiday, everyone was pitching in. Mrs. Briefs was the only one not allowed to get up from the table, because she had done all the cooking. Everyone said what they were thankful for, which ran from Pan thanking the Briefs for treating her like a member of the family to Goku being thankful for family and food. Conversations started irrupting, Bulma and Chichi talking about children and grandchildren, Vegeta and Goku talking about training and power levels, Dr. Briefs and Bunny talking among themselves and Goten and Trunks and Pan and Bra taking about school and what they were planning to do next summer. They had spent as much time as laughing as they did eating.

Pan and Bra were stacking dishes near the sink after dinner. "Kami, I'm stuff," Bra said.

"I could eat some desert." Pan snickered when Bra made a face.

"Man, the bean has really made you eat like a saiyan lately."

"I'll take that as a complement," Pan said and putting the last of the dirty dishes by the sink.

Trunks walked in carrying one turkey carcass while Goten carried the other on huge silver platters.

"Ah, hello ladies," Goten said. "Pan you must tell me, how did you train Trunks so quickly?" Goten teasingly.

"Shock collar, and lots of positive reinforcement," Pan said.

"I'm into discipline," Trunks said, baring his teeth and growling.

"Kami, enough already," Bra said, clapping her hands over her ears. "You two need to get a room already," Bra hissed and Goten burst out laughing at the embarrassed looks on Trunks and Pan's faces.

Trunks cleared his throat and flipped the switch on the coffeemaker. "I'm just going to finish the clearing and bring in dessert. Pan, why don't you and Goten go sit down and relax in the dining room. And Bra and I will take care of everything else."

"Why do I have to help?" Bra demanded.

"Because, Goten's a guest and you live here," Trunks replied.

When Trunks and Bra left the room, Goten whispered, "Wow Trunks is really going out on the line to impress you, is he crushing on you or something?"

Pan eyes widened briefly, "No, we're just friends Goten."

Goten smirked, "Ah-huh and I'm a kumquat."

"I'm serious Goten," Pan tried to reason.

Trunks came through the door, juggling plates and bowls. "The dining room's that way guys," he said, putting down the dishes, picking up four pies and disappearing through the swinging door.

Goten grinned and said, "Looks like you'll be joining the Briefs family soon, Tiny. You think I can be the best man at you wedding?"

"Goten just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I can beat you up."

After another hour of laughing and more eating, Thanksgiving was over at the Briefs'. After the Sons left, Trunks spoke up. "Mom, you and dad and grandma and grandpa are dismissed. Bra, Pan, and I will clean up."

"But sweetheart," said Mrs. Briefs, "There's much to do, and I'm an old pro. It won't take me long."

"Absolutely not," Pan told her. "You made such a wonderful meal. The least we can do is wash a few dishes."

"Don't argue with them," Dr. Briefs said.

"Goodnight, kids. Thank you for letting us old folks go to bed," Bulma said teasingly and blew a kiss before grabbing Vegeta's hand and heading to their bedroom.

Trunks clapped his hands together once. "Okay, Bra, you wash, I'll dry, and Pan can count the silver to make sure we didn't accidentally throw anything away."

"Why do you get to be in charge?" Bra demanded.

"He's the oldest," Pan pointed out. No wonder Bra couldn't attract a guy.

"Sorry sir." Trunks saluted playfully. "I await your orders."

Not expecting Trunks to give in so quickly to her brattiness, Bra said, "What you said was fine, but why can't we stick everything in the dishwasher? We have two of them, you know."

"The detergent will ruin the sterling, and gold trim on the plates will wash away in the dishwasher, then grandma will have our hides for ruining her good china," Trunks explained.

"That's stupid."

Pan laughed. "That's all you've got?"

Bra scowled and turned the hot water on full blast, squirting way too mush dish soap into the sink. After she'd washed exactly two dishes, her cell phone buzzed with an incoming text.

"It's Marron. She's invited me over to her house. So I see you Kit-Kats on the flip side." She dried her hands and headed for the door.

"You just can't abandon you post," Trunks told her.

"Yes I can, you volunteered me, not the other way around. See you later. Have fun washing dishes with my brother, Pan. And Trunky, you wash and let Pan dry."

With one last evil crackle Bra was out the door, and Pan and Trunks were alone in the quiet kitchen. "You heard the boss. Here's a towel, unless you're tired, and then you should go to sleep. I can finish this myself."

"Trunks, I'm pregnant, no sick. And there's no way you're doing all of this cleanup yourself." Pan snatched the towel from Trunks' hand and stationed herself next to the sink. "Let's get to it."

"It's so bright in here. Can I turn off some of the lights?" Trunks flicked off the fixture over the marble island. With just the lights on over the kitchen table and the sink, it was almost romantic, in spite of dirty dishes and leftovers. "So what were you and Goten talking about earlier?"

"Nothing," Pan said quickly.

"You expect me to buy that?" Trunks rolled his eyes.

"It was nothing. Just Goten being Goten. He just thought it was kinda funny that you were being so nice and stuff and he thinks maybe it's something more."

"Maybe I'm nice to you because I like you," Trunks said, wondering if his sudden attack of bravery was a consequence of being alone together in the dimly lit kitchen, or more likely, the four glasses of wine he'd drunk with dinner.

"I like you too," Pan said.

"I kind of think I might like you more," Trunks said, drying his hands on the towel Pan was holding, pulling her towards him.

The kitchen light flipped on, and Bulma was standing in the doorway. Pan and Trunks stepped away from each other, and the wet towel fell to the floor.

**Next chapter Pan and Bra go shopping for the baby.**


	14. Chapter 14

*Chapter 14: Shopping for Baby*

"Tell me why we're here in the children's section of the bookstore," Bra said as a toddler ran up to her, threw his arms around her knees, and then backed away crying and hiccupping, having realized that he was not hugging his mother. "It's so noisy…and sticky, and the chairs are really, really tiny."

"Don't you listen to anything I say anymore? I wanna buy Baby some books that I've read when I was a little girl."

Books were such an important part of Pan's life, and she wanted to share her favorites with her baby boy, imagining sitting at her son's bedside reading to him, E.B. White, Dr. Seuss and Beverly Clearly.

"Why do you want to buy them now? He won't be old enough to read them."

Pan sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm going to read them to him. I think I'll read a few Dr. Seuss books to him tonight."

The whole parent-child thing was never far out of Pan's thoughts, not just because of Baby, but also because of the mess with her own mother and father. It had never occurred to her before the bottom dropped out of her world back in August that the relationship that defined her life could be shattered as easily as her father's coffee cup in the living room floor.

"You could have ordered them on Amazon. It would be way easier than crawling in munchkin land."

As much as Bra adored Pan, she was having trouble relating to her friend's overflowing love for what Bra still considered to be nothing more than a bean, a boy bean. Of course, she knew the baby was real to Pan, who could feel the little booger swimming around in there, but she couldn't understand how Pan could feel so strongly about this baby when Derrick was the father. She knew it wasn't the baby's fault that he had a fuckface for a dad, but how could Pan fall in love with the thing that pretty much trashed her life? If Bra were in Pan's shoes (not that that would ever happen, considering she was nearly seventeen and had never gotten past first base), she would have ran to the abortion clinic without a backwards glance. Under no circumstances would she ever share these secret thoughts with Pan. What good would it do to second-guess Pan's decision, which, as tortured as it was and as complicated as it had made her life, was for her clearly the right way to deal?

"But this is fun for me. We're already buying him baby clothes anyway, might as well buy the book too."

In five or six years, she was to reading _Stuart Little _her son. Pan would smile as her son laughed when Stuart's father lowers him down the drain to retrieve the ring or ask the same question she had asked her own mother—how can humans give birth to a mouse? Just thinking about it, made her heart flood with love for her son and also made her want to cry thinking about her childhood memories of her mother reading to her.

"I get it," Bra said, even though she didn't. Looking around at the little kids crawling all over the floor, way more interested in stacking the books like building blocks or wiping their boogers on the carpet than in actually reading, Bra wondered what all the fuss was about.

"I wanna share a part of my childhood with my son, and these books are a part of it. I wanna give him everything he deserves."

Pan's certainty about protecting her baby sustained her, if she did everything right from here on out, maybe she could make up for all the things she'd done wrong before. It was an overly simplistic karmic equation: spreading your legs for a stupid boy you hardly knew canceled out by behaving irreproachable for the rest of your life.

"All right. Give me a job so we can this done and get the hell out of here." The bookstore, teeming with tiny bodies, looked like an ant farm, and Bra was starting to get itchy.

"Here's your half of the list." Pan tore the sheet of paper she was holding in two and gave one piece to Bra. "You get the baby books.

"Bra looked at the piece of paper in her hand. _Cat in the Hat, Goodnight Moon, Welcome to Busytown, Green Eggs & Ham, D.W. the Picky Eater, Yertle the Turtle, Caps for Sale, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Horton Hear a Who and Are you my Mother._

Leaving Bra to her assignment, Pan headed for the kid's section. _Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, Ribsy, _the entire Ramona series, _Indian in the Cupboard, Otis Spotford, and Mouse on the Motorcycle._

Pan handed the clerk a Japan Express Platinum Card. **(A/N: I'm not sure those exists, but they're in Japan so I'll just go with it.) **

"Looks like getting disowned by your parents hasn't done much to you financially. My mom's really got you covered with everything," Bra said giving Pan a wink.

"Yeah I guess, but you parents still love you, talk to you, and let you sleep in your own bed." Pan would trade any amount of money to have her parents' love and understanding. Without reservation, without preconditions. "I'm will to bet Vegeta never called you a whore."

Almost more than anything else, Pan couldn't get over her parents' contempt for her. It almost felt like they'd been waiting for her to screw up so they could say what they'd really felt all along. "As much as I appreciate everything your mom's done, Trunks is pretty amazing too, I miss my parents."

"You miss being screamed at and told you're nothing but a no-good slut? I didn't know you a masochist."

"Shhh! Keep your voice down. Remember where we are," whispered Pan. At the word slut a woman with a toddler glowered in their direction.

"Sorry. Well?" Bra whispered loudly.

"I don't miss the mean stuff, but I do miss how it used to be, before."

"That ship sailed. You'll never be able to go back there." As he she said it, Bra bit her tongue. She didn't know for certain that Pan's relationship with her parents was irreparable. Miracles happened every day.

"Here you are miss—um, ma'am," said the sales clerk as she placed two large shopping bags filled the baby's books on the counter. Was a pregnant girl who looked fourteen but was using a platinum card a 'miss' or a 'ma'am'?

**Next chapter Trunks and Pan a snowy day in the attic.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry it's been so long but my mom had been borrowing my laptop and and I was only able to a few days at a time. but I manged to finish a few chapters as well as a chapter for Destiny's Blessings my other story. If you guys read it go check it out. So without further a do. **

*Chapter 15: Evening in the Attic*

Snow floated silently past the windows, like feathers from some extraterrestrial pillow fight. The Briefs' attic was a cozy refuge from the real world, and Pan and Trunks treated it like a secret club-house, sprawling at either end of an enormous leather sofa. They talked, read, and listened to music, their feet meeting under a fuzzy warm blanket. It was heaven, and Pan wished they stay could up there forever. No one could hurt her in this cluttered fortress and four an hour or so every evening, she could block out the daily torture being meted out by the suddenly high-minded, moralistic students at Orange Star High School.

"You're more than half way there." With each passing day, Pan seemed a little bit sadder, and Trunks trying to thinks of ways to lift her spirits. Pointing out the light at the end of the tunnel didn't hurt, although nearly four months seemed like a long time, even to him.

"So what? I'm used. I'm damaged goods. Who's going to want to get involved with an unwed teenaged mother? I only did it once, but I'm screwed for life." Pan was too depressed to recognize her own bad pun.

"It's going to take some time, but you'll get past this. I know it a huge trauma, but once you graduate; you can forget about those losers at school and go to college with a fresh start."

Trunks was finding himself more attracted to Pan every day. He kept reminding himself that she was walking nuclear disaster. She had a bowling ball under her sweater, that wasn't even his. But he couldn't help himself. The kiss that they had almost shared on Thanksgiving haunted him. All he could think about was how soft her lips mush be, how sweet she must taste. It was sick and perverted to have those kinds of fantasies about someone who was pregnant, not even by him, and yet every time he looked at her, he imagined what she must look like naked—all perfect curves and glowing skin. He should gouge his eyes out for having such dirty thought. It had gotten so bad he could no longer wear his shirt tucked in when she was around. Like in middle school, when his body had a mind of its own, and the woman in the hairnet with the wart on her nose behind the counter in the cafeteria would say, "You wanna breast or a thigh?" and would get a raging boner, even though she looked like a witch and was talking about fried chicken.

What was driving him? Was it Pan's sweetness in the face of the shit blizzard that was her life that he found so incredibly appealing? Or was he just horny and desperate? Maybe—and he hoped that wasn't the case—he was fall for a girl who had way more checks in the _cons _column than in the_ pros_ column. Whatever the reason, he wished he had better control over the part of his brain that controlled his sexual fantasies.

"I don't mean mentally. I've got stretch marks everywhere. It's gross, take my word." Pan held up her hands. "And my fingers look like those sausages that come in those little cans."

Even her stretch marks and swelling sounded hot to him. Without thinking, Trunks grabbed her hand and lightly kissed each fingertip. "You don't look disgusting. You're incredibly beautiful, even with that tiny ball under your shirt. And in a few months, your body will be back to normal, and who cares if it's not exactly like it was before? Did you plan on joining a nudist colony or making a living as a stripper?"

Pan blushed, wondering if Trunks could actually think about her has as something other than the guest of honor at a nine-month pity party. The Thanksgiving almost-kiss might have been an aberration—he had drunk nearly an entire bottle of wine. Realistically, what decent boy would want anything to do with her after what she'd done—she was an untouchable, and no purifying bath or magic word could change that. Doing it with Derrick had ruined what should have been the most special part of her life. Sex would never be the intimate, transcendent experience she had read about in novels and seen in movies.

And after what happened with Derrick, Pan had been certain she would never feel that was again about a boy. Not only did she no longer trust boys in general, she didn't trust her own feelings about them. Every kiss, every touch would take her back to Derrick's Chevrolet. Whatever her future held, it was hard to imagine falling in love with someone, ever making love to someone.

But Trunks was different. He didn't avoid her eyes when she looked at him, and he didn't seem horrified by what she had done, or that she looked like a monster truck in stretch denim. In fact, when they were together, she felt pretty much like her old pre-Derrick self. At first Pan assumed he was only being nice because he felt sorry for her. Over the last few months, they had spent so much time together, doing homework, talking long walks, and talking about everything under the sun. Sharing a house, sharing his family, they had become extremely close. He really was her second best friend, thankfully he didn't have a sharp tongue like his sister, and it was impossible to forget how cute he was.

Now he had said she was beautiful, and such a compliment wasn't something a guy said if he was just being polite. Or maybe well-mannered guys _did_ toss flattering remarks around, and was she reading too much into it. Maybe she was just desperate for a little validation after so many months of self-loathing, and he _was_ just the kind of person who would see just how needy she was and try to help her feel better. Teenage girls, even pregnant ones, spent a tremendous amount of time worrying about whether or not they were pretty. There were so many reasons for him to be nice her that were more likely explanations than that he was actually attracted to her.

"You don't have to say that. I know I'm a whale. But thank you for taking the trouble to lie. It means a lot."

Since Thanksgiving, they hadn't talked about their feelings. But the unresolved question still hung in the air, at least for Pan. Tired of spending every waking moment wondering if he truly had feelings for her, Pan needed to know, and she realized she cared about him enough to let him off the hook if he was just trying to be a good friend, trying to build her flagging self-esteem. If he said nothing now, there would be an awkward moment—perhaps a pregnant pause, she laughed to herself—but at least she would know where she stood, and then she could move on, as difficult as that might be.

"I'm not lying," Trunks murmured.

Placing his hand gently on the mound of her belly, Trunks leaned over and kissed her, his lips barely touching her. He waited a few seconds. When she didn't pull away, he pressed harder, caressing her lips with his tongue, coaxing them apart. She tasted even better than he imagined. Feeling like the world's biggest degenerate but unable to stop, he moved his hand upward, cupping her breast. He definitely thought he was a pervert, but it was worth it. Pan moaned, and he pulled away in a panic. "Did I hurt you? Is the baby okay? I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. I crossed the line, didn't I?"

Pan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Don't apologize. You didn't hurt me. Just the opposite. I haven't felt anything like that ever—not even with, um, you know. You just surprised me. That's all." Gentle but assertive, respectful but passionate, Trunks was everything Derrick was not Pan thought.

Trying to slow his breathing and erase the sensation of her lips on his, Trunks said, "I wasn't really planning on doing that. It just kind of happened."

"Don't apologize. It just wasn't what I expected."

"Was it that bad?" Having only ever gone out with one girl in his life, Trunks knew he was experienced in the arts of kissing but he didn't think he was that bad, or maybe he was.

"No, it was amazing. But boys like you aren't supposed to kiss like that." Pan's heart was still thundering. _Could this be bad for the baby? _she worried.

"Boys like me?" _What does she mean by that?_ Trunks wondered.

"Yeah, polite, preppy, smart. You look so clean, but you kiss so, um dirty. You know what I mean?" Totally tongue-tied after what just happened, Pan knew her attempts to explain herself were beyond clumsy and she blushed mightily.

"I'm not sure, but if dirty is good, then I'll take it." This girl was insane, she was also funny and sexy as hell.

"Dirty is definitely good. But I'm afraid. Kissing leads to touching and that leads to…" she said, pointing at Exhibit A, which seemed to have grown even bigger in the last hour.

"There's no law that says you have to get naked with every guy you kiss. Derrick was your first, but he wasn't your first kiss, was he?" Trunks asked. Pan shook her head. "You obviously have self-control, even if it briefly went AWOL. You'll never forget again."

Trunks was in a tough spot. Though he knew she had every reason to be gun-shy, he hoped that she wasn't going to run away from him, from any possibility of a relationship, because she had been badly burned her first time out. And starting a relationship with her in the middle of her second trimester smacked of poor judgment—not to mention what his parents would say if they got wind of this. Hopefully Goten and Bra didn't really know about his for Pan or were just good at keeping secrets.

"I know. It's just that I can't stop thinking about everything. And I feel like a, well, like a slut. Pregnant with one guy's baby and kissing someone else." Pan desperately wanted Trunks to understand that she didn't want to push him away. It was just that she didn't know what to do, didn't want him to think she was _that _kind of girl.

"Are you in love with him?"

It hadn't occurred to him before, but if Pan was in love with that slimeball, Derrick, then Trunks had seriously misjudged her. Anyone who could care about who had used and discarded her was majorly fucked up, and as attracted as he was to Pan, Trunks was no masochist. That he was sure of.

"No, of course I don't love him. I hate him. I hate him for tricking me, for luring me in with his voice and his looks, for not considering anyone's feelings but his own."

"Guys are assholes. I won't deny it."

Derrick was a bastard, but that overwhelming urge to see a girl without her clothes and touch her all over was a feeling every guy could relate to. The difference was that _nice_ guys had self-control and empathy, and they actually thought of girls as the person they were and not just her body. As much as part of him wanted to push her back onto the sofa and run his hands over her tantalizing curves, make her moan again, he liked her too much to do that. Both of them had to be ready; otherwise they would be over before they got started.

"Not all of them," Pan said softly, tapping Trunks' shoulder. "And it's not just that I hate Derrick. I hate myself for being shallow and shortsighted because I didn't think that's who I was. I'm afraid of what I've become, and whether I'll ever be able to go back." Something about Trunks' face made her want to tell him her deepest, most frightening thoughts, knowing he would understand exactly what she meant.

"You're going to be fine. Underneath you're still you. The last thing I want to do is make things more difficult for you." Trunks was sad but sincere. This clearly was a mistake, at least for now.

"But you're going to have a life after you give birth. You can't torcher yourself forever." _Or me._ Unconsciously, he licked his lips. For him, there was no going back, but he kept that to himself for fear of spooking her. She was even more brittle than he thought. If he handled her the wrong way, she would break in two.

"Stop apologizing. That kiss was the most amazing thing you could have done. You made me feel almost normal again, and I can't tell you how much that means to me. But…."

Trunks grimaced. The big what. "But you're not ready. I get it. I promise to control my less than honorable thoughts. You tell me if…and when. I'm not going anywhere." It felt good to be candid with her and here her being honest with him.

"Thank you for understanding. Promise me you won't forget those thoughts. I like you so much, and I don't want to ruin it by starting a new chapter before finishing this one. Does that make sense?" She held her breath, hoping Trunks had a lot of time and patience. Talking openly and honestly to a boy after such an earthmoving kiss was incredibly weird, but also very exciting. This was how it was supposed to be.

"Very good sense. Until you give birth, I promise to keep it completely platonic, as far as you know." Smiling, he reached over and kissed pan lightly on the forehead. "In my mind, that was lower." The baby was due on April eighth, and not that he wished for him to be born prematurely, but Trunks didn't know how was going to wait that long.

**Next chapter Trunks meets someone in the bathroom.**


	16. Chapter 16

*Chapter 16: Bathroom Encounter*

Now that he had declared himself to Pan, instead of feeling relieved that she seemed to reciprocate at least some of what he was feeling, he was obsessing about her more than ever. No matter where he was, no matter what he was doing, she invaded his every thought. Even standing at a urinal in the guys' bathroom reading the nonsense scrawled on the tile wall—Ren K. is a faggot, and below it, ur boyfriend says hi Ren K.—and other equally eloquent observations about life, Trunks couldn't stop thinking about Pan. He wondered if she would ever be ready for real relationship with a normal guy. While he knew he could get past the Derrick thing, he wasn't sure she ever would. At the sound of another guy peeing, Trunks woke from his daydreaming. Glancing to the right, he saw Derrick Warner.

"What are you looking at homo?" Derrick said glaring at Trunks.

"Studies show that the more homophobic a man is the more likely he is to possess latent homosexual tendencies." _Did I just say that out loud? How guy did that sound? _Trunks thought, wishing he kept his damn mouth shut.

"What?" Derrick looked genuinely puzzled. "Are you calling me a fag, faggot."

"Wow, your command of the Japanese language is impressive." Biting his tongue, Trunks knew he sound like a creepy college professor, which wasn't helpful when talking to someone like Derrick. Recovering he said, "I'm not calling you anything, man. Just leave it."

As much as Trunks wanted to get into it with this bastard, defend Pan's honor in some small way, he couldn't bring himself to pick a fight with this loser. Ultimately it would accomplish nothing, except possibly going to jail if he let his rage get the better of him and hospitalize the guy, or getting suspended from school. Wishing didn't think so much, he longed to be more emotional, less cerebral, so he beat the crap out of the bastard in front of him.

"What the fuck's the matter with you? You sound like my grandfather."

"You want to me to talk like a regular guy? Okay, here it goes. Just because you'll stick you dick in anything that moves, you think that makes you special? Just because ever other word you say is 'fuck' doesn't make you special." Trunks zipped his pants and walked over to the sink, turned on the water, and stared at his reflection in the filthy mirror.

"And what does, you prissy prick?"

"Definitely not screwing as many girls as you can just to prove how macho you are…and then abandoning them when they get pregnant," Trunks growled quietly.

"So that's it. You've got a hard-on for that Son chick, Pan. Pretty fucked up to be chasing after someone in her, um, condition. But I don't know why you're talking to me about it. _I_ never fucked her." Lying had become like breathing for Derrick. "Not that it's any of your business." Derrick glared at Trunks' starched long-sleeved white shirt, Blue V-neck vest, and checkered green pants, wondering how such a poof had the guts to talk to him like that and whether it was Pan or Bra who had ratted him out.

"That's not what I hear, you pathetic excuse for a man. You got her pregnant and walked, no ran, away." At that moment, Trunks wanted to kill this douchebag who had stolen something precious from Pan and left her with permanent scars.

Suddenly Derrick was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder, smiling dangerously at Trunks' reflection. "Don't you say that out ever again, you hear me, you fucking queer?"

"Which part? The part about how you knock up Pan or the part about you being pathetic? Be he could turn around, Derrick punched him in the kidney and Trunks grunted pretending he was in pain. He didn't feel anything from that punch but he couldn't lead on that he didn't. This bastard was going experience pain like never before, Trunks was going make sure Derrick would regret everything he ever did to Pan. By the time he was done with him, Derrick going to bleeding from head to toe.

"You think you're funny? I'll beat the living shit out of you." Derrick couldn't believe that he'd come in for simple piss, and now he was trading punches with some shithead who had the hots for Pan.

"You think?" Trunks spun around, fist up, his punch landing squarely on Derrick's exquisite nose. Blood gushed, staining Derrick's pristine white T-shirt and dripping onto the tile floor.

"You stupid bastard. Now you've done it." Derrick's flawless profile that had escaped injury in spite of years of contact sports was ruined.

Three minutes, a black eye and a couple of bloody torn shirts later, a freshmen wandered into the bathroom and discovered two seniors, one beating the shit out of the other and the other screaming like a girl. Doing a quick about-face, in spite of the fact that he really needed to use the felicities, he ran to the principal's office to report the crime in progress.

"Mr. Briefs, would you so kindly tell me why you beat up Mr. Warner here?" Principal Fresher stared impassively across his desk. Based on their appearances, Trunks was clearly the winner and there for would most likely take most of the blame. Pushing a box of Kleenex towards Derrick, he said, "You're dripping on my new carpet."

Derrick grabbed two handfuls of tissue and held it up to his nose, which was running like a faucet.

"It was just a misunderstanding, Mr. Fresher," Trunks offered. "We worked it out."  
"Yeah," Derrick echoed in a nasal voice, grateful that Trunks didn't seem eager to share his secret about Pan.

"I have your files in front of me, and I see that you, Mr. Warner, are being recruited by a few powerhouse schools who would like to exploit your athletic abilities. And Mr. Briefs, you're Ivy League all the way. Fighting in the bathroom like a couple of thugs is not the smartest way to achieve either of your goals. Would you boys agree with that assessment?"

"Yes sir," the boys said, staring straight ahead.

Principal Fresher was in a tough position. Bulma Briefs had written a large check with no strings attached to the PTA when she had enrolled both her son and daughter at Orange Star High, and hoping that her generosity was not isolated incident, the principal was reluctant to inflict a punishment that might cause her to slam her checkbook shut. Besides, from what he knew about Trunks Briefs, he was a good kid—a straight-A student with very good manners. Derrick Warner was what the kids called a "playah," who was constantly being oohed and aahed over by a gaggle of adolescent girls in tight jeans. He wondered how the kid could make his way down the hall through the throngs of admiring females; it was an enviable predicament. Neither one was a troublemaker, so there was likely a good reason the two had come to blows, but after thirty years of listening to children either spill their guts or lie like thieves, he was losing interest in getting to the bottom of things. At the moment, all he cared about was surviving until June, when he could retire with full pension and spend his days building ship models in the glorious solitude of his basement.

"Today's your lucky day, gentlemen. It's my granddaughter's birthday, and I'm feeling festive. So in the spirit of giving, I'm going to let you off the hook with a stern warning," the principal said, peering over his reading glasses at the kids who in a few months would be old enough vote and defend Japan in war, but now, as they slumped in their chairs, one looking like a punching bag and bloody and bruised and the other with torn clothes and the punching bag's blood over his clothes, they looked like a couple of little boys fresh from a schoolyard skirmish.

"I'm really sorry, Principal Fresher. I don't know what got into me, I wasn't thinking, and I promise it won't happen again."

Trunks had never been called into the principal's office ever in his life. Never before had allowed his emotions to trump his good sense. That could only mean one thing: he was definitely in love with Pan.

"I'm sure you are, Mr. Briefs. Mr. Warner do you echo your compatriot's sentiments?" Mr. Fresher looked expectantly at Derrick, tapping his pen as he waited for a response.

"Yes sir," Derrick mumbled.

Barely able to see out of his right eye, Derrick was fuming less over getting into a fight with the pansy-assed prepster who was mooning over the one girl he regretted fucking than he was over the fact that his perfect face was going to be considerably less perfect for the foreseeable future. Although, if he really thought about it in a glass-half-full kind of way, girls were nurturers, so he was fairly certain he would he would be able to find a few biddies willing to take off their clothes and nurse him back to health.

"You two are so close to the finish line, I'm fairly confident that you'll find the wherewithal to control your caveman urges in the future. But if you don't, be warned, I'm going to throw the book at you. And you know what that mean—no Division One, no ivy-covered halls."

"Yes, Principal Fresher."

"Why don't you two take the rest of the day off? And next time, use your words instead of your fists."

"Yes, Principal Fresher." Both boys shuffled out, heads down, and walked quickly in opposite directions down the hallway outside the principal's office.

When Trunks walked into the kitchen, Bulma and Chichi were sitting at the table, heads together, doing a crossword puzzle. Chichi looked up and screamed, causing Bulma to spill coffee all over the newspaper. Both women jumped to their feet and startled fussing over the boy they thought had been injured.

"Omikami, Trunks! Your chest is bleeding! Where's the first aid-kit? We got get to a hospital!" Chichi said in a panic.

"I'm fine, Chichi really. This isn't my blood," Trunks told her.

"Then whose blood is this? Trunks what happened?" Bulma asked worried for her precious baby boy.

"I got in a fight. It was nothing, mom, really."

"You, a fight? Who would start a fight with you? You're the most civilized young man I know besides Goten," Bulma said as she stood in front of Trunks, smoothing his wrinkled, bloodstained shirt and patting his cheek. She knew he could take after Vegeta sometime, but she figure her son had more self-control than her husband. She guessed saiyans would be saiyans.

"It was kinda mutual, actually. I ran into Derrick in the bathroom, and we got into it." Now that it was over, Trunks wasn't sure whether he was proud of or embarrassed about his bathroom beating the living crap out Derrick scenario.

"Derrick? Pan's Derrick?" Chichi asked.

"Got into what?" Bulma asked next, completely confused. Orange Star High had the kind of reputation of being the kind of school where you didn't need to lock your car doors, and you never had to worry about any of those horrible school shootings. Apparently that was a falsehood.

"Oh my kami, Trunks. What happened? Why is your shirt covered in blood?" Pan cried as she walked into the kitchen with Goten right behind her.

"This explains why you weren't there take Pan home with you," Goten said taking a good look at Trunks' torn up shirt. If his best bud did get into a fight, he clearly won it and from the amount of blood, it looked like he murdered someone.

"You kill someone bro?"

"No, but he'll be carrying my punches to his face for a while." Trunks who had never traded punches with anyone in his life outside of sparring with his father and Goten, fighting the martial arts tournaments, and fighting enemies that threaten to destroy the earth, had always wanted to say that.

"So what happened?" Pan had a sneaking suspicion that Trunks getting into a fight was somehow related to her.

"I saw Derrick in the bathroom and we started, and the next thing I knew we were rolling around on the floor trying to kill each other."

"Not that he would have much of a chance," Goten said trying hold back the smile that was wanting to spread across his face. He loved the idea of going to class tomorrow and seeing that scumbag looking like a piece a meat and that Trunks was the one who ruin his pretty face.

Pan glared up at her uncle and then faced Trunks again, "But why? You don't even know each other, do you? What could you two possibly have to talk about?"

"I may have said something that set him off," Trunks said.

"Like what?" Feeling like a lawyer trying to tease information out of a reluctant witness, Pan wanted to reach down Trunks' throat and yank the words out.

Chichi interrupted, "Goten I think it's time for us to be heading back home now, your father's in the GR training with Vegeta, why don't you go get him and I'll wait in the car." Chichi hugged and said her goodbye to Pan before heading to the front and Goten went to go retrieve his dad. Bulma left as well, leaving Trunks and Pan alone in the kitchen.

"So what did you say that made him try to beat you up and rip your clothes to shreds?" Pan asked again once everyone was out of earshot.

"I told him he was a loser because he'll screw anything that moves and he abandoned you when he got you pregnant. Please don't be angry, Pan. The words just came out. I couldn't stop them." How could he explain that Derrick Warner standing next to him with his dick in his hand, the same dick that had defiled the girl that Trunks was head over heels in love with, was more than he take.

"Dammit, this is all my fault. Trunks, you don't have to avenge my lost honor. We're not living in the medieval ages."

"But it's so unfair. He's still out partying, having the time of his life, and you're…."

"Screwed. True enough, but he'll get his someday. Good looks and good luck can't last forever. At least that's what I keep telling myself." Revenge fantasies in which Derrick lost his junk to some enraged father who found out Derrick got his little girl pregnant or crazier ones where Derrick himself got pregnant had become a regular part of Pan's daydreaming rotation.

"You're being awfully philosophical about this. Don't you want to kill him every time you see him? I don't even know him and I want to kill him," Trunks said, fists clenched, wishing he'd landed a few more punches to Derrick's mouth, forever ruining the smile that had probably hustled a hundred gullible girls.

"I did, but not anymore. What choice do I have? Ultimately, don't I have responsibility for my own behavior? I can be angry at Derrick for being a total creep after I got pregnant, but I'm as much to blame as he is for everything that happened up to that point."

"But you're…and he's so…from what I hear he's done it with half the girls in school. Did he know you'd never done it before?"

Pan reddened. "I told him I was still a virgin on our very first date. I knew he had lots of experience, and I didn't want him to think I knew what I was doing when I didn't."

"Then he had no right to lure you into his web when he knew you were a total babe in the woods," Trunks said furious at Derrick for treating Pan so casually, and annoyed with Pan for not being more worked up about it.

"But I'm not a total moron. I could have just said no, and I didn't."

"The fact that you were so innocent probably made him want you even more." Trunks himself was tremendously attracted to her clear-eyed sweetness, which remained untainted by her growing belly.

"Whatever the reason, I could've stopped him if I'd wanted to." In Pan limited experience, it had never occurred to her that sometimes boys didn't take no for an answer.

"Are you sure about that?" Trunks asked. The way Derrick was, from what Trunks saw, made him certain that if Pan had refused him that night by the lake; Derrick would have gotten what he wanted no matter what.

"Does it really matter?" Pan was feeling fat and tired, and talking about all the what ifs didn't change the fact that her feet were killing her and she had to get up six times a night to pee.

"I suppose not." Part of Trunks—a large part, he hated to admit—wanted Pan's encounter with Derrick to be less about her own desire, whether for Derrick himself or simply to belong, and more about Derrick's forcefulness. Even though she would have ended up in the same place, it made her less culpable, innocent in spirit if not body.

"Look, Trunks, I know where you're going with this. I'm not such a good girl as you think I am. This is all of me, the good and the bad," Pan said as she spread her arms and thrust out her stomach. Afraid she would be unable to live up to the squeaky-clean image that Trunks seemed determined to have of her, Pan was desperate to dispel the mythology. If he could ever love her, he would have to love every facet of her, including the broken, not so shiny bits, and there were lots of them.

"I did a bad thing, and now I have to live with the consequences every day, and if you want to be my friend, you're going to have to live with that wicked, awful, brain-dead part of me too. Don't you understand that I would do anything to take back that night, take back my virginity that I stupidly threw away so I could feel like I belonged to a group of people I don't give a flying fuck about?" Exhausted, Pan plopped down on a kitchen chair.

"You're _all_ good, Pan, and I'm sorry I upset you. I'm just being an idiot. That gut is such an asshole that I can't imagine the two of you, how would ever…with him…unless he…." Even though Trunks' sexual experience was limited to one girl he had only kinda liked, he still held onto the romantic belief that sex was supposed to between two people who were actually in love.

"Raped me? No, I was willing. Did you take a good look at him before bashed his face in?" Pan asked, not wanting to make Trunks feel bad by pointing out Derrick's obvious attributes. But he really did need to understand that the choice to do it with Derrick had been hers, a stupid, awful, horrendously poor choice made for shallow, ill-considered reasons.

"He's definitely a good looking guy." Discussing Derrick's physical gifts was the last thing Trunks wanted to be doing.

"Well, girls aren't any different than guys when it comes to a beautiful face and hot body," Pan pointed out.

Disappointed that no girl would likely ever lose her self-control in _his _presence, Trunks said, "You just don't seem like that kind of girl."

"What kind of girl, Trunks? A whore?"

"That's not what I mean." Not even sure what he meant anymore, Trunks wished he could put a padlock on his mouth, or at least redirect this conversation so he sounded less like a Neanderthal.

"Smart girls get horny too," Pan said, feeling more than a little defensive. "And you take your old fashion double standard and go fuck yourself."

"No, that's not it. All I was trying to say, not very well, was that you seem like a thoughtful person, I still can't imagine you making such a big decision with so little thought. That's all. I'll never say another word about it."

Pan started sobbing. "That exactly what Bra said, and I don't have an answer for why I didn't use my brain that night, and I'll never forgive myself. Fill free to hate me, because _I _sure hate me." Swimming in a sea of regret, Pan feared she would drown before she ever reached the shore.

"And now I'm just making it worse," whispered Trunks as he stood behind Pan's chair, stroking her hair, trying to stop the tears he had so stupidly provoked. Talking things out was definitely overrated. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Just let me love you," Trunks whispered into her hair so quietly that Pan didn't hear him.

**Next chapter Pan talks to her guidance counselor. **


	17. Chapter 17

*Chapter 17: Shopping for apples and Parent surprise*

The college essay Pan had originally written back in July, before her world had come crashing down around—some about getting lost during a fishing trip with her grandpa Goku when she was ten and how it had affected her—sounded stale and irrelevant. Reading it over, she felt as if she were reading about the life of a stranger. How could she have changed so much in so short a time? Sitting down at her computer Pan let her emotions loose, the words flowing as easily as her tears.

_Who Am I?_

_In a matter of minutes I had transformed from a good girl into a cautionary tale. A few well-chosen words, a wandering hand, a five-minute lapse of judgment, and I have become a totally different person. Or have I? Am I only the sum of my experiences, or can I choose to be something else, something more?_

_When I walk down the street, people turn to stare at my swollen belly, making me feel like the bearded lady in a carnival sideshow. But am I a freak? studies say that about half of all sixteen year old girls have engaged in sexual activity, so my current condition, while unfortunate, is not statistically unexpected. Condoms are only ninety percent effective; somebody has to be in that unlucky—some might say stupid—ten percent._

_But is that it for me? Will I be an unwed mother for the rest of my life? Has my identity been cast in stone because of my careless behavior? I prefer to believe that this single thoughtless act will be just that, an isolated moment in a life that I hope will be remembered for other reasons. Ultimately it is my choice, just as I chose to give it up in the back of a 2012 Chevrolet truck. I have no idea what the future holds for me, but I do know what it does for him. My baby although conceived unintentionally, is by no means a mistake; he is a gift, a life worth living, no matter how inadvertently he began. In the caring arms of a mother who is ready to commit the ultimate sacrifice that is motherhood, my son will live the life he deserves._

_I cannot undo my poor judgment, I cannot bridge the abyss that now divides me from my family, and I cannot recapture my lost innocence. But I can make the best of this little detour, learn from it, and move forward into a brighter future. I am more than the sum of my experiences. I am whatever I choose to be._

It wasn't pretty but it was the truth, and even if every school sent her a thin envelope, Pan knew she had done the right thing by being honest. Not that it would probably matter. College cost a fortune, and the total of Pan' assets consisted of her laptop, her iPhone, and a Tiffany heart shaped locket her parents had given her for her twelfth birthday.

"I'm very of you, Pan. Even with all of your distractions," the guidance counselor said, trying not to stare at Pan's midsection, "you've managed to get your applications in on time—early, no less. It's very impressive."

"Thank you Mrs. Yuki." it was December twenty-third, the last day of school before Christmas vacation, and even though she was not six months pregnant, Pan felt like she had swallowed a volleyball. She had only gained seven pounds so far, but it was all in one place. "I do have a question. My parents are having trouble dealing with my, um, distraction and we're kinda not talking to each other right now. They made me move out of the house back in September."

"I'm so sorry Pan, I had no idea. That must be very difficult. Are you staying with relatives?" Pan was not the first pregnant student to wander through her office, but she was the first who had actually been given the boot. She knew that the Sons were conservatives, but Mrs. Yuki couldn't imagine how they could reconcile this move with their moral values. After thirty years helping young people navigate the college process, Missy Yuki had thought she'd seen everything, but there was always something new under the sun.

"I'm staying with my best friend's family. They've been great, so that's not a problem right now. My problem is this: if I do get into college, how am I going to pay for it? I don't have any money of my own, and if my mom and dad aren't talking to me, I talking to me, I kind of doubt they're going to shell out fifty thousand dollars to pay for school."

"That is a problem. You're not eighteen yet, right?"

"I'll be seventeen in in March." Pan felt more like a hundred and seventeen.

"So you're still a minor, which means they're still legally responsible for you. But of course there's no law saying they have to pay for college, although the financial aid office will be looking at your parents' tax returns to determine your eligibility…interesting dilemma." As he spoke, Mrs. Yuki flipped through a notebook on her desk.

"Are there scholarships for idiotic pregnant girls? May a _pathetic _scholarship instead of an athletic scholarship?" Pan asked.

Mrs. Yuki chuckled. "It's good to hear you've kept your sense of humor, kiddo. I'm going to do some research, but I think your best course of action may be to go to court and emancipated from you parents. If you do that, their income will not be considered by colleges that offer need-based grants. While your grades and test scores are fantastic, the colleges you're considering don't offer merit-based scholarships." College counselors weren't supposed to give legal advice, but in Mrs. Yuki's mind this was a special situation, and Pan was a special girl.

"Emancipated?"

"It's a drastic move, for sure. You'll have to think long and hard about your relationship with your parents and if there's any possibility of reconciliation. Have you had any contact with them since September?" Mrs. Yuki was uncomfortable advising a student to legally divorce her parents, but Pan was bound to get into some top colleges, and it would be a tragedy if she couldn't afford to go. Spending senior year pregnant was punishment enough; the poor girl shouldn't have to suffer the rest of her life.

"I saw them once, and I tried to talk to them, but it didn't go well. I even wrote to them asking for their forgiveness, apologizing and everything. But they didn't answer."

Pan cleared her throat and wiped away a stray tear. Even though months had gone by and she managing pretty well, all things considered, it was still hard to talk about it. No matter what happened, they were still her mother and father, and she couldn't quite believe that it had turned out this way.

A few weeks earlier Pan had bumped smack into her mother at the grocery store. Mrs. Briefs need apples for a pie, and Pan had offered to pick them up for her. If she had been paying attention, Pan would have remembered that her mother always did her big weekly shopping on Thursday afternoons after work, and Pan could simply have gone to a different store. But she had other things on her mind than her mother's rigid schedule, so she wandered right into her path. Videl had been as started as Pan was.

"Mama," Pan cried, dropping the bag she was carrying, sending apples rolling in all directions.

Videl considered ignoring her daughter, not for solely punitive reasons, but mostly because she had no idea what to say to her. Peering at the small bulge visible under Pan's sweater, Videl stood gripping the shopping cart handle, worried that if she let go, she might collapse on the filthy linoleum floor. Prior to the front porch debacle, Videl had never gone more than a day without talking to her daughter. Even when Pan went away to summer camp, she called every night on the cell phone Videl had insisted she sneak into her duffel bag, because phone calls home were officially limited to one a week. Now it was the second week of December, and they hadn't exchanged a single word since the beginning of September. And the subject of their rift, as Videl chose to view it, was no longer merely a blue cross on a test stick or a notation in a medical chart. It was a full-fledged baby, poking its tiny head against Pan's shirt, announcing its existence to the world. This was really happening, and even though she and Gohan had chosen to ignore it, there was going to be a baby, a grandchild, in another few months. It felt strange being totally isolated from this person she had created, who had spent nine months in her belly. Through some elaborated scheme of rationalization, Videl did not even consider that this separation was ultimately a product of the parents' behavior, not the child's. Self-pity now joined the anger, resentment, and humiliation that had continued to simmer in Videl's brain over the past few months.

"Hello, Pan," Videl said coolly, determined not to reveal the emotional strain she was under. Letting Pan know how much she had affected her mother would only shift the balance of power away from Videl, and being a parent was all about retaining the power position. Without that, there would be chaos.

"Mama, how are you? How's Daddy?" Pan didn't know whether she should kiss or hug her mother, but Videl's stiff posture was like a barbed wire fence with a Keep Out sign in it, so Pan just stood, hands at her sides, trying to think of the magic words that would break the ice.

"We're fine. You?" pretending she was chatting with someone she ran into from the hospital she worked at rather than her daughter, Videl tried to hang onto her equanimity. It wasn't easy.

"I'm fine. Bulma-San has been really nice to me." There was no need to go into details about how Bulma had basically taken over Videl's job of being a mother for the past few months. "I'm just finishing my applications and trying to keep my grades up." Hopefully the mention of college applications might spark a conversation about next year. Maybe Videl would let Pan know which way the wind was blowing, although Videl's raised eyebrows when she looked at Pan's belly probably meant that nothing had changed.

"Oh." Videl's mind was reeling, and though she was rarely at a loss for words, nothing was coming to her, even though she had imagined this moment nearly every day since Pan had left. Dozens of speeches of varying tones, from forgiving to vicious, had been rehearsed as she drove down the highway, ran errands, raked leaves. But now that moment to speak her piece was at hand, she drew a blank.

"Yeah, I rewrote my common application essay. It was a risky move, but Mrs. Yuki said it was really good."

Pan wanted to ask if her parents were going to send her to college, but she didn't, and Videl just stood there. Unable to believe that her parents were really done with her, that they really thought she was such a terrible person, Pan tried to see what was going on behind her mother's eyes.

Then from behind a pyramid of tuna fish cans stepped Pan's father. Gohan rarely went to the grocery store, but he had come home early from his classes, just as Videl was leaving, and on a whim he had decided to go with her. With him always gearing up for the next class lecture and Videl being busy at the hospital, they had precious little together time, and he had vowed to make an extra effort to do a couple of things with her. Especially now that Pan was gone, Videl seemed a little fragile. His wife was no long the woman he married, no longer the strong-willed helpmate who knew what he needed before he needed it. Wanting the old Videl back, he had no idea how to make that happen. Talking about how they had handled their daughter's unfortunate situation, reconsidering the wisdom of the Hefty Bag Solution, never occurred to him. Running errands together, however, seemed like a step in the right direction, and it was way easier than reexamining his values or his parenting skills. Besides, going to the grocery store was a pleasant distraction, like visiting a food museum where every iteration of food known to man was displayed in brightly colored packages, all vying for his attention and his money. It blew him away that there were nearly a dozen different kinds of raisin bran. Running into Pan had spoiled his tour of salad dressings and condiments.

"Daddy, hi." Pan smiled up at her father, hoping that an unplanned meeting might be just the thing to start the mending of their fractured family. At the very least, maybe Gohan would be more loquacious than Videl.

"Oh, Pan, it's you," he said, nonplussed, staring straight at the swelling under Pan's shirt.

A lump in his throat as his brain thought about how his litter girl ended up in this condition. Images of sweaty bodies entwined in the back seat of a car, his daughter's bra hanging from the rearview mirror, moans of illicit pleasure, invaded his brain. The saying was definitely true—out of sight, out of mind. Now he would never get this picture of his pregnant daughter out of his head. Secretly he had hoped that Pan wouldn't reappear until after the baby was born, when she would look like a regular person, not a slowly inflating Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon.

"I was just telling Mama that I finished my applications. Senior year isn't terrible so far. I really like my AP Psych class." She always held a common love for school like her father; Pan hoped that his internal geek wouldn't be able to resist a chat about neurotransmitters and mental illness.

Videl continued to stand, holding tight to her shopping cart, looking like a department store mannequin except for her periodic blinking. Gohan, however, had not been rendered paralyzed by the unexpected appearance of their daughter. "About that, Pan. Where did you end up applying?"

Perhaps the cold shoulder had begun to melt. Pan's hopes soared. Maybe the bullshit about time being the great healer wasn't bullshit after all. "I applied to Princeton, Oxford University, NYU, and Orange Star University."

"That's ambitious. Those are some pretty pricey colleges. Have you considered how you plan on paying for one of those schools, assuming you get in at all?" Gohan said, still staring at Pan's stomach, refusing to look her in the face.

There was nothing remotely warm or encouraging in Gohan's voice. So much for the thaw. His chill tone sounded more like the dawn of a nuclear winter.

"I hadn't really thought about it. I've been too busy writing essays and keeping up with my schoolwork."

Her father sighed histrionically and said, "Well that's not too bright is it? Did you assume your mother and I were going to pay for it?

Pan shrugged. Feeling her father's eyes burning into her belly, she crossed her arms protectively around her stomach and looked pleadingly at her mother, who remained catatonic and surgically attached to the cart.

"Robert Louis Stevenson said something about everyone having to sit down to a banquet of consequences. Pan, I think you table is ready. Bon appétit." Gohan had read that quote in a book on financial planning the week before, and he smiled to himself at his own cleverness. "Videl, I'll meet you at the car. I need to stop at the bank."

Without a backward glance, he sauntered away, as if he had just run into one of his students, rather than his estranged and very pregnant daughter to whom he just spoken for the first time in months.

Not knowing what else to do after having been so mightily dissed, Pan bent down retrieved the runaway apples. At least she knew where she stood now. Based on her father's reaction, Pan understood that this feud could outlast all of them.

"Bye, Mama." Pan briefly placed her hand on her mother's shoulder and then walked quickly away, leaving Videl in front of a huge bin of beans, a single tear rolling down her otherwise expressionless face.

Trembling from head to toe and unsure whether she could safely drive home, Pan sat for few minutes, trying to slow her breathing and hammering heart, before she burst into tears. Not just for herself but for her son, who would never know his grandparents because they hated her and resented him just for existing. Looking down, she realized she had walked out without paying for the apples, but she was too upset to go back. A second encounter with her stone-faced mother would surely do her in.

Pan sat back in her chair. Repeating the story was enough to get adrenaline pumping. "So I don't think they're planning on helping me."

"That's such a sad story. You poor thing. Well, based on that," said Mrs. Yuki, "I think your only shot is to go the emancipation route. It's unlikely you're going to find two hundred thousand dollar in change between the couch cushions."

"I'll think about it over Christmas vacation. Thank you for listening Mrs. Yuki."

"No problem, Pan. Try to have a merry Christmas." Giving Pan a quick squeeze on the shoulder, Mrs. Yuki doubted that was possible.

Taking to her counselor about the day at the market was a relief, because Pan had never told Bulma about the apple encounter. It would only make her hostess and second mother more sorry, more worried, more determined to compensate for Videl and Gohan's shortcomings. Although hadn't intended on telling Bra or Trunks either, that proved impossible as Trunks took one look at her face when she returned home that day and forced her to spill the beans, which she did only after she made him swear he wouldn't tell anyone, especially Bulma.

After dinner on Christmas Eve, Bulma and Pan were in the kitchen washing the dishes watching the rain pour down through the window. "Pan, sweetie, I want to talk to you about something."

"Of course Bulma-San. Is everything okay?" Pan asked, suddenly worried that perhaps she had done something wrong and had ruined their relationship.

"Everything's fine. I just want to talk to you about next year. Having you hear with us for the past few months has been so enlightening and you've always been like a second daughter to me, Pan. It would be my honor to help you any way I can, which includes sending you to college."

Trunks' promise to Pan not to divulge her run-in with her parents had been a hallow one, and he told Bulma everything, including the bit about divorcing Gohan and Videl. It made Bulma sad that Pan hadn't felt comfortable sharing her burden, but she understood Pan's reluctance was not a result of a secretive personality, but rather she didn't want to look like she was asking for money. The hardest part was to be getting Pan to let Bulma help her.

"How did you know about…?"

Pan could hardly believe her ears. She was seriously considering the emancipation option, especially after her father had made it clear where he stood. And if that didn't work out, she could always get a job and go to a community college. Lots of people managed to get an education that way. At this point, Pan knew needed to be flexible. She was going to be taking care of her baby as well as balancing going to college and building a future for the both of them. Her old dreams about ivy-covered buildings and classes with Nobel Prize-winning professors might be destined to remain dreams, and that was okay. Life was playing out differently than she had thought, but she was learning to take each day as it came. Having to take a detour didn't mean she wasn't going to get there—it just might take a little longer, and the road might not be as scenic as she had hoped.

"Trunks told me. Don't be mad at him. He care so much for you, and rightly felt I should know what was going on with you."

"But just because I'm staying with you doesn't mean that you have to solve all of my problems." Pan said.

"Listen to me, honey. I have lots and lots of money, and it's not going anytime soon. Using it to help the people that I care so much for, makes me so happy. Don't you want me to be happy, Pan?" Bulma's eyes were bright in the light of the kitchen bulbs.

"But you've already done so much for me. I can't accept anymore." Bulma's generosity was boundless, and Pan vowed she would try to be as giving as this extraordinary woman, with whatever she had to give. "My guidance counselor said I can go to court and get emancipated from my parents, and then I'll probably get financial aid from whatever college I get into, assuming I get in anywhere," Pan said echoing her father's words. Although Pan definitely had the grades, she was suffering a global crisis of confidence, and it wouldn't surprise her if, like her parents, every college rejected her.

"You don't need to do that. Someday your parents will come to their senses. I promise you they will. It may take a long time, but they will come around. And in the meantime, we can help each other," Bulma said.

"How can I help you?" At this point, Pan felt only contribution to the world was to make other people feel better about their own lives, but from what Pan had seen so far, Bulma had a pretty fabulous life, and did seem like Pan could do anything for Bulma.

"You've helped me more than you know, my love. You are a very special person. Trust me—I know about these things. And thinks of it like this. I'm already paying for two college tuitions, what one more going hurt… and even if I end up putting you through medical school, there will still be plenty left. It's not like I'm going to be eating dog food anytime soon." Bulma wrinkled her nose. "I'm the owner of the largest, rashest company in the world. I'm in a very comfortable position. Three college tuitions aren't going to break the bank."

More tears of joy and relief this time, rushed down Pan's cheeks, mingled with Bulma's as the two hugged and kissed.

"Thank you, Bulma-San. Thank you for everything."

"You're so welcome, sweetheart. There is one thing you can do for me, though."

"Anything."

"Please stop calling me Bulma-San. I'm Aunt Bulma, or just Bulma. Okay?"

"Okay… Aunt Bulma," Pan sniffled.

"I'll call Carl in the morning, just to make sure. He'll tell us what to do, and then he'll take care of everything." Bulma jotted down a few words on the pad of paper she always kept in her pocket. "All we'll have to do is wait for the acceptance letters, so he knows where to send the check."

"Carl?"

"Carl Shawls, of Shawls, Schwartz, and Schultz. He's my lawyer and accountant. I haven't pestered him in a while. Let him earn his retainer." This was exciting. Writing large check to charities to benefit thousands of anonymous people all over the world felt well, but it felt so much better looking into the eyes of someone who needed a helping hand and telling her that everything was going to work out, at least financially.

**Next chapter Pan can't take the cruelty anymore and drops out of school.**


	18. Chapter 18

*Chapter 18: Dropping out and a night to remember*

Evidence of her cardinal sin was straining against her T-shirt. Thirty-four weeks into her pregnancy, Pan felt like a planet with stretch marks and swollen ankles. The dirty looks and insults still continued with no end. As she walked down the hall everyone one stopped talking and stared at her like she was freak in some sideshow.

Knocking frantically on Mrs. Yuki's office door, Pan tried to keep herself from hyperventilating. Her heart was racing after navigating the hallway of condemnation. Not that the taunting had been any different yesterday or the week before, but the straw had broken the camel's back, and she couldn't take it for another minute.

Mrs. Yuki flung open her office door. "Pan, what's the matter? Did something happen?" Eyes full of tears and face red like tomato, Pan looked like she was going into labor.

"I can't stay here anymore. It's too hard."

"You're okay? The baby's okay?" Unequipped to handle emergencies beyond the hysteria student experienced when they were rejected by their first-choice college, Mrs. Yuki reached for the phone. Her first aid skills were rusty. She knew were supposed to boil water when someone was having a baby, but she had no idea why.

"The Baby's fine. I'm fine." Pan's voice was hoarse with pain, but not the kind that came from contractions.

Mrs. Yuki collapsed into her chair with a sigh of relief. "Thanks goodness. Then come in and sit down." She handed Pan a bottle of water and said, "Have a drink, and tell me what happened."

"Everyone stares at me and laughs all day long, and I can't concentrate on school. I feel like I have three heads or something. I don't think I can deal with being a circus freak for the next six weeks." Tears coursed silently down Pan's cheeks. Spending most of her lunch hour everyday crying in a bathroom stall, Pan had performed the art of bawling without making a sound.

"Oh, Pan, I'm so sorry. I wish I could slap each and every one of those brats and tell them to tuck their eyeball back into their heads, but I'm afraid I can't do anything about it. You'll have muscle through, or…. "

"Or what? I can't muscle through. I really tried. And I thought I could do it, but I can't." Even though she was in the final act of her nine-month pregnancy play, the days seemed to be getting longer, and Pan was beginning question her sanity.

"I get it. Kids are incredibly mean. You could do independent study at home. With your grades, it probably wouldn't be a problem to get approval. Other girls in your situation have gone to night program in South City, but they don't offer AP course, so that wouldn't work." Most girls in Pan's position were headed to beauty school or a cashier job at local grocery store. None of the unfortunate girls Mrs. Yuki had counseled over the years had been taking five AP classes and applying to Princeton.

"I promise I won't let my grades drop. With the internet. I'll be able to send in all my papers and keep up with the assignments. Please, Mrs. Yuki, don't make me go back out there." Pan on the edge of her chair, leaning towards her counselor's desk, beseeching Mrs. Yuki with her body as well as her words.

Knowing she couldn't abandon this poor girl who was clearly the end of her rope, Mrs. Yuki said, "Fine. Let's try it. I'll send a memo to your teachers. I doubt they'll mind. I've heard whispers in the faculty room that your, um, condition is a little distracting to the other students, so I'm sure everyone will make a sincere effort make your homeschooling work."

"Thank you so much. I knew school would be bad, but I didn't think it would be this awful."

"I think that's because you are who you are, your pregnancy is more—how do say this—interesting to your fellow students than if you just any girl. You do realize you're probably the last person anyone would expect to turn pregnant," Mrs. Yuki said.

"I was the last person _I _would expect to get pregnant, but that doesn't make it any less horrible to deal with," said Pan.

"Teenagers are cruel human beings, there's no doubt about that, and when a girl who is otherwise perfect—smart, beautiful, nice—stumbles, you're going to get a lot of attention and a certain amount of schadenfreude. It's not fair, but it _is_ human nature."

"Schadenfreude? You really think me being pregnant is making other people happy because I'm _me?_" Pan was dumbfounded. "I'm getting worse treatment because I was the teacher's pet? I just thought they were being cruel because that's how kids are."

"Unfortunately, on some level I think that your accomplishments, your specialness, have made you a compelling target."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Pan said. Kids she didn't even know were teasing her, pointing and laughing as she struggled down the hall, belly sticking out in front, and backpack behind.

"Jealousy is a pretty basic emotion, and although I doubt you were ever aware of it, a lot of people were jealous of you."

"Jealous of _me?_ That's impossible. Who would be jealous of a misfit like me?"

"You may see yourself that way, but that's not how your classmates see you. Take my word for it. As a guidance counselor, I hear everything. For some reason, kids think they can say anything to me. It's like this office is a confessional."

In spite of the fact that Mrs. Yuki's primary duty was to ferry students though high school in context of college applications, most kids treated her like their own personal psychologist, seeking her advice about boy troubles, bullying, and birth control. No matter how many times she referred them to the school psychologist or the nurse's office, they would inevitably wander back in, only sometimes taking the trouble to ask her a question about the SAT before launching into the real reason for their visit.

"I wish I'd known that before," Pan muttered, mostly to herself. If she'd had more self-confidence, she likely wouldn't have gotten herself into this dreadful situation. If only she'd been less concerned with what other people thought about her, especially when she'd been totally wrong about what they'd been thinking.

"One thing I've heard many times over the last few years are how kids look up to you, what you've achieved. Unfortunately, that also means they feel better about themselves when you fall." Trying to explain the mixed-up adolescent mind to a very mixed-up adolescent was like trying to explain the terrible twos to a toddler.

"Great. I tried to get a boyfriend so I would be less of a loser, when nobody actually thought I was a loser, but now, because I was totally clueless and insecure, I really _am_ a loser." _Bra was right about everything. Why was I so stupid! _Pan scolded herself.

"Just because you made a mistake—and it was a doozy, don't get me wrong—it doesn't make you a loser. You have to believe that," Mrs. Yuki said.

"But I can't see my feet anymore, and people make foghorn sounds when I walk down the hall."

"It's all just temporary. In not so many weeks, your life will start to get back to normal. Just be patient for a little longer."

"Each day feels like a year," Pan sighed.

"Look, you have my permission to hide out until this is over. I agree that your mental health is important, and I'm sure you can handle the workload on your own with no trouble. But I expect to see you back here in April…afterwards."

"Okay. I really appreciate you backing me up, Mrs. Yuki. I promise I'll work really hard," Pan answered, although at that moment she couldn't imagine ever going back.

"You'd better. Those AP exams in May are for real. If you mess those up, you could jeopardize your college acceptances."

"I know." Pan stood to leave, and Mrs. Yuki came around from behind her desk, arms outstretched. Pan was one of the good ones, and she was sorry to see her go.

"Good luck, Pan. You're in the home stretch. Just hang on. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Bye."

Although Pan had gone to Mrs. Yuki so that she could withdraw from school, now that she had done it, she felt sad and kind of scared. Pan hadn't discussed it with Bulma beforehand, fearing she would talk her out of it, but now that it was done, Pan wondered if she'd taken the coward's way out. Now she had to go back to the house and break the news to Bulma and Trunks.

"Okay, if that's what you want to do," Bulma said when Pan told her, clearly surprised, but as usual, not judging or scolding. "They're going to send your work home?"

"Everything is online, so as long as I have my computer, I can do all the work, and Mrs. Yuki said the teachers will send me the tests. Since I've always been a good student, I don't think anyone's worried about me cheating."

Trunks was less receptive. "But you look fine, and who cares if a few morons act like a bunch of ten year olds? You shouldn't quit school just because of them." In truth, Trunks was going to miss driving back and forth with her every day.

"Thanks you, but I look like a Goodyear blimp, and it's more than just few, every day feel like a public stoning, and I can't even focus on what the teachers are saying anymore. What's the point in going to school if I'm going to have a nervous breakdown in the cafeteria?"

"Pan is right, Trunks. No matter how sympathetic you are, you can't possibly imagine what she's going through. Besides, the decision has been made, and it's our job to support Pan in whatever she does. That means you can bring home her work from school and help Pan however you can," Bulma instructed. When she put it that way, Trunk realized Pan's hermit period might not be so bad.

It had been a long day. Dropping out of school had been exhausting. "I think I'm going to turn in early. I don't think I've ever been so tired in my entire life."

"You do look like you could use a good night's sleep, dear; everything will look like brighter in the morning. I promise," said Bulma, opening her arms for a hug. Her mother always said that nothing was more therapeutic than the touch of another human being, and Pan needed to feel that she was loved, even if it wasn't the loving embrace of her parents.

"Thanks Mrs. Briefs for a delicious dinner. Night, Trunks." As Pan passed his chair, she briefly rested her hand on his cheek and he tipped his head back, smiling sadly, wishing for the thousandth time that he could take away Pan's pain.

"Goodnight, Pan. Sleep well."

He wanted to run upstairs and tuck her in, but he realized that might frighten her. Although he knew he needed to stow his emotions on a high shelf, Trunks was having trouble compartmentalizing. Every time he looked at Pan or heard her voice, he thought of their incredible kiss in the attic. It had been etched in his brain, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the feel of her, and the taste of her, flashed through his mind. Knowing he was acting like a girl who couldn't get over her first kiss, Trunks wondered what it had meant to her. He watched Pan trudge up the stairs, desperate to know is she spent half as much time thinking about him as he spent thinking about her.

When she heard Pan's bedroom door shut, Bulma said, "You like her, don't you?"

She wasn't at all sure whether or not she should even broach the subject. How many teenage boys would be willing to discuss their love lives with their mothers? The last thing she wanted to do was make her precious baby boy uncomfortable.

"Is it that obvious?" Trunks had thought he'd been hiding his emotions pretty well.

"All those longing glances? I can practically see the little hearts floating over your head."

She knew all too well what her son was going through. She had the same feeling for Vegeta and after all the years of marriage, she was still in love with her hardheaded saiyan prince who had given her two wonderful children.

"Are you mad at me?" if Bulma disapproved, Trunks wasn't sure what he would do. As much as he cared about Pan, it would break his heart to disappoint his mother.

"Why would I be angry?" Bulma asked.

"Well, she's pregnant, her parents have disowned her—the girl has a few issues." Although on paper Pan was radioactive, Trunks was transfixed by the real, live girl.

"That she does, but she's a wonderful person, and I firmly believe that a person should not be judged for any single act, and certainly not for the acts of her parents. Pan is much more than a young girl who's gotten herself into trouble. Besides, you can't control what your heart feels, can you?" Bulma ruffled Trunks' hair.

She didn't have a problem with her son falling in love with a semi-homeless, pregnant girl, but she wasn't sure if Vegeta would be so open minded.

"I can't. And it's not like; I think I love her." Trunks hadn't meant to say that out loud, but if anyone would understand, it was Bulma.

"Have you told her that?" Bulma asked.

"Of course not. I kissed her, though, and I think that scared her, so I'm kind of in a holding pattern until the baby comes."

"Probably a good idea to take things slow. She has about as much as she can handle right now."

"Besides, how do I know I'm really in love with her, or is it just that I think she's beautiful and I'm caught up in all her drama?" Trunks desperately wanted to sort out his feelings, and as bizarre as it was to be talking about his love life with his mother, she understood him better than anyone else.

"You've never felt like this about a girl before?" Bulma was quite enjoying this conversation. That Trunks felt close enough to her to confide his most deeply felt emotions thrilled her beyond measure, and she wanted to offer him the support and guidance he deserved.

"Never. I can't stop thinking about her." Images of Pan in yards of white silk and himself in a tuxedo, dancing in the ballroom, the glowing lights of the chandlers dancing on Pan's beautiful face as she smiled up at him, floated through his mind on nearly a daily basis. Trunks knew it was beyond abnormal for a guy to daydream about his wedding day, especially with a pregnant girl he'd had only really gotten to know for the last six months, but he could help himself. She was more than his little sister's best friend now, she was the girl he wanted spend the rest of his life with.

Bulma mind flooded with the memories of her and Vegeta's love life over the year… not a very good example that her son need right now so she said, "Well, at you age that could just be hormones. If you're attracted to her, it could be easy to confuse sex and love."

When Vegeta finally had proposed when Trunks was year old. She figured he was doing it because they had a child and not because he really loved her. Vegeta never showed he true feelings but over the year he soften to her and showed he married her for the love of her body and soul.

Trunks blushed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But it wasn't like he could talk to Goten about having the hots for his pregnant niece. "I've been physically attracted to girls before, but this totally different. It's not just the way she looks; it's all me needing to be with her. I'm already missing her, thinking about her going college."

"You've got it bad, kiddo. But I can't fault you for falling in love with her. I love her too—it's as if she's my own daughter. I guess she's just our type." _What an adorable couple they would make, and what beautiful babies they would have someday, _Bulma thought.

"What about Dad? He's not like you, Mom. He's going to be furious when he hears I've fallen for Goku's granddaughter." Trunks paused. "You haven't told him have you?"

"Just the vaguest details. But I didn't spill the beans about you having feelings for Pan. That's your job to tell him, if and when you want to." Trunks was eighteen. He could manage his own business. But if it came to that, Bulma would do everything in her power to convince Vegeta that Pan was worthy of being Trunks' mate and worthy of being a part of their family.

"Do you think Pan might love me back?" Trunks asked.

Although he knew she liked him, seemed to be as attracted to him as he was to her, he wasn't sure she had the capacity to fall in love, at least for the time being.

"I think so, even if she doesn't know it yet. Just be there for her, in whatever way she needs you. When all the noise in her life goes away, you'll be holding her hand, and she'll see all of you. At that moment, how could she _not_ fall in love with you?" Bulma pinched Trunks' cheek and smiled mischievously at him.

"Thank you for listening, Mom. You're a great mother."

"That's the heist complement you could have given me. I love you darling, and I'm glad you confided in me with this. It makes me happy."

"Good night, Mom."

"Goodnight sweetie. And don't worry so much. Kami knows it won't change anything." Bulma blew him a kiss as Trunks headed up the stairs.

Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Trunks debated with himself. _You owe her an apology. It can wait until morning. But what if she's upset? You just want to see her without a bra on, you pervert. _He knocked gently on Pan's door. Not sure what he was going to say, he knew that he couldn't go to sleep without talking to her.

"Come in."

Pan was already in bed, reading a book. In a pale purple nightgown, with her midnight black hair lying in swirls on the white pillowcase, Trunks thought she looked like an angel. He had never seen her look more beautiful.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have said anything. Of course I can't begin to imagine what you've been going through at school." Trunks took a step into Pan's room, wanting more than anything to crawl into bed with her and wondering how he could make that happen.

"It's nothing. And you're right, I shouldn't let people I don't even care about make important decisions for me, but I'm just so tired." Pan sighed and put her book on the nightstand.

"I'll let you sleep," Trunks said.

"No, please don't go. Do you want to sit with me for a while?" Patting the bed next to her, Pan nodded. "Would you read to me?"

"Of course." Trunks gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up Pan's book. "_Pride and Prejudice?_"

"It's the only Jane Austen I haven't read yet. You look like you're about to fall off. come over here. Get comfortable," Pan said, propping a pillow against the headboard next to her.

Trunks stretched out next to Pan. "Okay, here it goes." He hadn't read out loud to anyone since the third grade. When he came to the end of the chapter, he looked over at Pan to see if she was asleep. "Do you want me to stop?"

"If you want." Pan said, and yawned.

"You need your rest. Goodnight, Pan."

Leaning over, Trunks intended to kiss Pan's cheek, but she turned her head at just the right moment, and his mouth met hers. Knowing he should pull away, that they had agreed to wait after the baby was born to try this again, Trunks was unable to stop. And Pan made that sweet little meowing sound and opened her mouth to his, he let himself go. Her body was rounder and riper than it had been that first time, and his hands were desperate to explore. With one hand tangled in her hair, Trunks let his other hand slip inside Pan's nightgown. He knew what he was doing was wrong, was probably illegal in some counties, but he kept going, kissing his way down her neck, not stopping until his tongue was teasing her nipples. Pan moaned in his ear. He was nearly ready to come just from the sounds she was making. His saiyan blood was pumping and he felt this insane urge to bite Pan. He looked at her neck and it was driving him crazy.

"Pan," he breathed. "I…." Trunks started as he came close to Pan's neck.

Trunks' voice snapped Pan back into reality, and she pushed him away before he could do anything further. "Trunks, we can't."

She could hardly catch her breath, and from the neck down, the last thing she wanted to do was stop, but in her heart she knew they would both regret carrying this to its logical conclusion. It was not the right time, no matter how incredible it felt.

Jerking upright and leaping off the bed, as if it had metamorphosed into a red-hot stove, Trunks turned away from Pan so that she wouldn't see his hard-on, which hadn't yet gotten the message that story time was over. "I'm so sorry. Please, Pan, you have to forgive me. I didn't come in here to do that. I swear."

"I know that, Trunks. You didn't do anything wrong. I was right there with you," Pan said, pulling the sheet up to her neck, the tingle of Trunks' mouth on her breasts lingering like a delicious phantom pain. Still unable to believe that he could look at her, let alone touch her, in her puffed up state; she wanted to laugh out loud. The most perfect guy in the world wanted her, bloated body and all. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I promised not to bother you, and then I attacked you." His hands splayed ineffectively over his crotch and his couldn't get the urge of biting Pan's neck out of his system. Trunks couldn't shut off the movie of their too-briefs love scene that was already replaying in his head.

"Stop." Pan felt hot all over, and her heart continued to pound. "Go to bed, Trunks."

"But…."

Pan had to giggle at Trunks' obvious distress. "Go take a very cold shower. I'll see you in the morning." She blew him a kiss and turned off the light.

**Next chapter Pan goes into labor.**


	19. Chapter 19

*Chapter 19: Pan's in Labor*

When Pan awoke from a dream in which she had peed in her pants in front of the entire student body of Orange Star High School, she realized that while she was not standing in front of a thousand howling teenagers, she was still soaking wet. On top of all the other humiliations she had suffered in the last nine months, now she could add bedwetting to the list. But as she floated up through layers of sleep, she realized that it was the first of April, and the doctor had told her that her water could break at any time. Thank goodness. But if her water had broken, that meant she was in labor. Baby was on his way. Pan tried to stay calm, reminding herself that this was perfectly natural, exactly what was supposed to happen. Her efforts to soothe herself was failing, Pan looked at the bedside clock: 3:45am.

She tiptoed to Bulma and Vegeta's room and stood by the bed, staring at the sleeping forms, still wondering whether this could wait until a more civilized hour—she had already inconvenienced Bulma in so many ways—when her belly seized up in a single enormous contraction. "Argh!" As hard as she'd tried to control it, the groan slipped out between her gritted teeth.

Bulma sat up straight and looked around. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Are you in labor?" Having mentally prepared herself for this precise moment for weeks, she felt like a rookie fireman hearing the alarm bell, about to slide down the pole on the way to her first real fire. It was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. But she knew she needed to put on a clam front for Pan, make her feel like everything was under control. Throwing back the blankets, Bulma leaped to her feet, ready for duty. In anticipation of just such a middle-of-night emergency, she had been sleeping in her sweats for the last two week, so she wouldn't have to waste precious time getting dressed and could focus all of her attention on getting Pan to the hospital.

"I think my water broke. Either I'm in labor, or something's really wrong. Bulma I'm scared," Pan whimpered, tears streaming down her face, more from fear than from pain.

"You're going to be just fine, my darling. Remember what Dr. Tauzon said. Everybody gets through it. And I'll be with you all the way."

Soothed by Bulma's reassuring words, Pan rallied. "Okay, my suitcase is downstairs. I guess we should go."

Bulma jumped on the bed and started waking Vegeta. She needed someone to drive them to the hospital while she kept Pan calm.

Vegeta woke up and growled as to why Bulma had woken him up when it was still the middle of the night. But at the sound of Pan holding back a scream from another contraction, Vegeta eyes widened.

"Oh crap! Woman I'm not getting into the women's business…" Vegeta started but stop when he saw the death glare Bulma was giving him.

"You're driving us to the hospital whether you want to or not, Vegeta. Unless you'd prefer Pan to give birth here." Vegeta grunted in frustration, having no patients for his angry wife or a pregnant saiyan female, he caved to his wife's wishes.

Vegeta went to get dressed and Bulma grabbed her cell phone and dialed the doctor's answering service as she took Pan's hand and lead her back to her room.

"You're drenched, Sweetheart. First let's get you into some dry clothes, and then we'll go."

Five minutes later Vegeta took the driver's seat as Bulma and Pan went into the back and now they were on their way to the hospital. "How are you feeling now?" Bulma took Pan's hand and stroked her hair. "Don't forget to breathe."

"It still hurts a lot, but not as bad as before," Pan said, not sure she was going to be able to make it through without drugs.

"We're supposed to be timing the contractions?" asked Bulma. There were so many details to remember, and she had left her little notepad on her nightstand. Now she would have to wing it.

"Probably."

"Let the stupid doctors figure it out," Vegeta said, smirking, "It their job."

"Vegeta I'm in no mood for your comments." Bulma growled and went back to Pan.

They pulled up in front of the emergency room; an orderly magically appeared with a wheelchair. Five-star treatment, for sure, and Bulma briefly wondered if everyone got that kind of service, or whether the hospital staff had been put on notice after receiving her donation the previous week. It was a worthy cause, and as her father always said, it didn't hurt to grease the wheels.


	20. Chapter 20

*Chapter 20: The next Son is born*

"You're six centimeters dilated and nearly eighty percent effaced," said the nurse as she withdrew a glove hand from under the sheet.

"You're more than halfway there. Good job."

As intense as the pain was, like a giant fist clenching and unclenching inside of her, Pan had thus refused an epidural. Partly because she didn't want Baby exposed to any drugs, and she had heard that a spinal block could slow down her labor. But more than that, Pan viewed each searing contraction as part of her punishment for getting herself into this mess. Experiencing every second of this gut-wrenching agony was exactly what she deserved, and if she managed to get through it without folding, she might be able to forgive herself for her dreadful mistake and move forward with her life.

Bulma put down her magazine she had been pretending to read and came over to the bed. "Pan, you don't have to be a hero, you know. Everybody gets an epidural."

"I know, but it's not that bad," Pan said, her voice raspy with the effort. It was more than that bad, and as every hour passed there were fewer minutes of relief between the contractions. Her insides felt as if they were twisting themselves into a Gordian knot.

Pan's paler-then-usual skin told Bulma that Pan was lying, but she didn't say a word. Whatever Pan's reason for refusing medication, it was none of anyone's business, and before the advent of modern medicine everybody had natural childbirth, so as unpleasant as it appeared to be, it wasn't impossible to endure. Hopefully, if it couldn't be pain-free, at least it would be quick.

"If you change your mind, let me know, and I'll have the anesthesiologist here in one minute, okay?"

"Okay," Pan said, once again grateful for all of Bulma's kindness, taking her in when she had nowhere else to go, feeding her and loving her like her own. She wondered if Gohan and Videl knew she was in the hospital.

Once again think of what would make Pan happy, Bulma asked, "Do you want me to call your parents and let them know what's happening?"

In fact, Bulma had already called them and left a message on their answering machine informing than that the birth of their grandson was imminent. That was three hours earlier, and there hadn't been any response. Apparently time did _not _heal all wounds. If Pan wanted them, however, Bulma would get Vegeta—who was waiting in the maturity ward waiting room—to go and kidnap them and drag them to hospital. Whatever Pan wanted.

"No, I doubt they'd want to be here, and this is hard enough without worrying about what they're thinking," Pan said, grimacing as another contracting stabbed her body. If girls knew how excruciating labor pain was, they would never have sex.

Bulma's phone rang, but it was Trunks, not Gohan and Videl.

"Mom, is everything okay? Bra and I just found your note (drafted two weeks earlier as a part of her baby preparation: _Dear Trunks and Bra, The big day has arrived. Your father and I have taken Pan to the hospital. Love, Mom_), and now he was in his car on the way to the hospital.

"Everything's fine, darling. Pan is doing beautifully. She is so incredibly brave." Bulma paused, listening. "I'll ask her. Trunks would love to come and hold your hand, but he understands if you don't want him here."

Grateful that Trunks had the good sense not to just show up, Pan shook her head. "I don't want him to see me like this. Thank him for me, but could he wait until it's over before he comes?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Trunks, I'll call you later, okay? I think this is kind of a girls' outing today, you know?"

"I understand. Tell her I love her," Trunks said, disappointed that he wouldn't be there to help her though it, but hopeful that she would want to see him afterward.

"I'll let you tell her yourself, later. I love you, honey. Bye." When Bulma hung up the phone, Pan said, "I don't want to hurt Trunks' feelings. It's just that I don't want him to see me so out of control. He'll never be able to forget this moment, and I don't want a screaming, sweaty, bloody blob to be his default image of me."

"Don't be silly, sweetie. He understands perfectly. All Trunks wants is what's best for you. Trust me. He really cares for about you." Stopping short of telling Pan the whole truth, Bulma was fairly certain that Pan was reciprocated Trunks' feelings. They just needed time to work it all out.

"I know, but he thinks I'm this fallen angel or something, like I was this perfect piece of crystal that Derrick dropped and now I have a crack, and Trunks feels like it's his job to glue all my pieces back together."

"Trunks dose have a tediously to be a fixer, he get that from my side of the family. And the only reason he's put you up on a pedestal is because he likes you so much. He just needs to learn that as much as he has enjoyed putting you up there, it's no place for a girl to live."

"That's exactly right. I can't be half as good as he thinks I am."

"You are just the right amount of good, Son Pan, and Trunks knows that. Men aren't very good with their words, especially in a crisis. But just pay attention to how Trunks behaves, even if he's saying all the wrong things, because his actions will show who he really is." Even though Bulma was certain Trunks would get there on his own, she couldn't resist helping this thing along.

"Do you know absolutely everything, Aunt Bulma? Owwww, that hurts so much." Pan squirmed in the bed, but she could hardly move, because she was tethered to so many monitors—her heartbeat, the fetal heartbeat, blood pressure, IV.

"By the time you get to my age, sweetie, you've had plenty of time to make mistakes and figure things out. I wish you just such an education, darling."

A knock at the door at the door interrupted their heart-to-heart. "Come in," called Pan, hoping it was the doctor to tell her that Baby was ready to be born and the torture would be over in the next few minutes.

"Hello, Panny," Chichi said smiling. "How are you doing?"

"Grandma. Oh I'm so happy to see you." Pan said. She was so overjoyed to have her grandmother here; she would be at her side when Baby was ready to come into the world. "I'm okay, I guess." Determined not to cry, not appear weak, Pan managed a tight-lipped smile.

"You're almost there, sweetheart. Your grandfather's in the waiting room with Vegeta. I have him on, making sure your grandpa doesn't leave the hospital, duty." Chichi told Pan and Bulma started chuckling. When was that man ever going to get over his fear of hospitals and needles?

"Who told you I was here?" Pan gasped out. And Chichi took her hand.

"Bra called us saying Bulma left her and Trunks a note and that your grandfather and I needed to get to the hospital because our great-grandbaby was coming and she said she was going to get Goten out of school, so he'll be here soon too."

Pan nodded, grateful that her grandparents and Goten, her flesh and blood family was going to be here for her and Baby.

Another knock on the door, and Bra marched in. "You really thought you were going to have this baby without me by your side? Besides, it was a great way to ditch school." Bra said in a teasing tone and gave Pan a wink.

Not wanting to admit that she hadn't thought once about her best friend these last several hours, now Pan was glad she was here. "Hi," Pan moaned as another contraction tore through her body.

"Hi, Mom, hi Chichi-San. Nice to see you here, Goten's in the waiting room with my dad and Goku," Bra said.

Chichi smiled. "It's nice to see you too, dear, and thank you for getting Goten and coming to comfort Pan."

"That what best friends are for. You look like shit babes," Bra said, turning back to Pan, taking in all the wires and beeping machinery.

"Thanks. You always know just the right thing to say to make me feel better." It hurt too much to laugh, but Pan was grateful for the distraction.

"So when do you have to do the magic trick?"

"Magic trick?" Pan asked, thinking she had misheard through the veil of pain.

"Yeah, when do you have to push the watermelon out of your—"

"What the hell's matter with you? Is my entire life just an excuse for you to make jokes?"

"Pretty much," Bra deadpanned.

"Well, I'm not fully dilated yet, but Dr. Tauzon said when I feel the uncontrollable urge to push, that means I'm ready."

"Yeah I read in the baby book it's like taking a giant dump," Bra said.

Pan cleared her throat and look over at her grandmother and Bulma. Chichi was trying not to laugh while Bulma was smiling into the pages of the _New Yorker_. "Do you always have to say exactly what you're thinking?"

"Just trying to find the humor. I can see you want to laugh."

"Yes, that's exactly what I feel like doing right now," Pan grunted as her entire body stiffened with another contraction. "Owww, I feel it, I need to push! Grandma, Bulma, I think it's time. Please get Dr. Tauzon."

Bulma jumped up. "Chichi, press that red button. I'm going to find the doctor," she ordered as she dashed out of the room.

"Wow, mom runs fast in an emergency," said Bra. Seeing the pain and fear in Pan's eyes, she said, "I'm here, okay? We're going to get through this. Whatever you do, _don't _push. Otherwise_ I'm_ going to be the one catching the bean, and that would not be good."

"Don't worry sweetheart," Chichi said kissing Pan's forehead, "You're going to be just fine. It'll all be over soon and you'll be able to finally hold your baby in your arms."

A minute later, Dr. Tauzon dashed in, followed by a breathless Bulma. "It sounds like someone's ready to have a baby," Dr. Tauzon said.

"Yes right now. I need to push, so bad," Pan panted. "It hurts like crazy. I can't hold it in. please let me push so the pain will go away."

"Okay let's have a look," said Dr. Tauzon as she slipped on latex gloves and lifted the sheet over Pan's legs. "Yes ma'am that baby is on his way. Mrs. Briefs, Mrs. Son, Pan's friend, do you want to help?"

"That's why we're here," Bra said. "What do we do?"

"Pan is going to push hard, and you and Mrs. Briefs are going to hold Pan's feet so she has something to push against. Like this," said Dr. Tauzon demonstrating. "And Mrs. Son, you just keep holding Pan's hand.

Bulma, tears already gushing, and Bra got into position as Dr. Tauzon stood at the end of the bed. "All right, young lady, it's all you. Take a deep breath, hold it, and push from your bottom, like you're having a bowel movement, for ten seconds at a time. Don't make a lot of noise—it just wastes your energy."

Pan nodded, desperate to get on with it. She had been afraid she wouldn't know what to do when the time came, but the need to push was so primal, so natural, it was as if her body had been programmed.

"Go," ordered Dr. Tauzon, and as Pan pushed, Chichi slowly counted to ten. "Okay, rest. You're an excellent pusher. This isn't going to take very long at all. Are you ready? When you feel the next contraction, go with it."

Pleased that Pan had risen to the occasion, Dr. Tauzon looked up at the clock. This delivery would be over before one-thirty, so she would be able to make it to her own daughter's parent-teacher conference. Sometimes it was possible to juggle everything and have it work out.

"That was excellent. When you feel another contraction, do it all over again," Dr. Tauzon said. "You're so close, Pan. Just hang in there a little longer."

Eyes wide, Bra couldn't believe what she was seeing. The top of a tiny black haired head was emerging from between Pan's legs. Every smartass comment she had been considering vanished, and as she stood there bracing Pan's foot, for once in her life speechless, mesmerized by what was happening in front of her. It really_ was_ a miracle.

Certain her eyes must be popping out of her head with the effort, Pan held her breath and pushed. As painful as it was, feeling as if her body had split down the middle, it was an incredible relief to push.

Suddenly Dr. Tauzon said, "Stop! His shoulders are out. Don't move. You're almost done. There, now one last push."

The room flooded with the sound of the baby's cries and all Pan wanted to do, was hold her son in her arms.

"Congratulations, Pan. You've given birth to a healthy… and very unique, baby boy," said Dr. Tauzon as she kept staring at the tail wrapped around the baby's tiny little waist and handed the infant off to the nurse for cleaning.

Bulma, Chichi, and Bra had backed away and stood against the wall, watching quietly as Pan nuzzled the tiny baby, no bigger than a bag of flour. "You're here; I can't believe you're really here. I love you so much, my beautiful baby boy," Pan whispered into the pink seashell of an ear.

He cooed and entangled his tail around Pan's fingers. A love like no other was flooding Pan's heart. Pan couldn't imagine ever letting go of this precious creature who for so many months had been her traveling companion. His dark blue eyes, that were almost black, stared into Pan's dark eyes as she stoked his gravity defying black hair that was the exact replica of his great-grandfather's.

"Goku," Pan whispered, "I'm going to name you after your great-grandpa Goku." Son Goku Jr. looked at his mother and smiled as if to say he agreed with the name.

Goku Jr. was being passed around. Chichi had fetched Goku and Goten from the waiting room. Vegeta didn't want to be a part of it so he stayed outside the room waiting on Bulma.

Goku held Goku Jr. close to him and smiled at the baby, "It's kind of like looking in a mirror." Goku said, still amazed by his great-grandson's likeness to himself.

Goku Jr. giggled and kicked his little foot out almost hitting Goku in the face, "Wow you're a strong one, aren't you little guy? You gotta take it easy there; I'm not as young as I used to be," Goku laughed, making everyone laugh with him.

Chichi was the next to hold Goku Jr. she absolutely loved her great-grandson, she knew he was going be extremely spoiled by her. Holding him in her arms, she wished Gohan and Videl could see what a beautiful grandson they had and realize what a precious gift he really was.

Chichi handed Goku Jr. to Goten, "Hey there little guy," Goten said grinning. "Well looks like I've got a favorite nephew now, and your uncle Goten's gonna teach you everything I know. Flying, using your ki, and martial arts. You and I are gonna have so much fun Goku, you just wait and see."

Goten gave the baby to Bra next who was reluctant to hold him at first but gave in, "Thank kami you don't look anything like your dad kiddo," Bra said. "No offence to you but your dad is a real…" Bra was cut off by Pan.

"Bra, please don't curse in front of my baby."

"We'll finish this discussion later kiddo," Bra said giving Goku Jr. a wink making him giggle and Pan roll her eyes.

**Next chapter Trunks and Pan have a little discussion that's going to change everything.**


	21. Chapter 21

*Chapter 21: The talk*

Exhausted from the physical and emotional effort of the last twelve hours, Pan watched as everyone left her room so she could rest. The nurse came and got Goku Jr. taking him to the nursery, leaving Pan alone.

Twenty minutes later, the door slowly opened, and Trunks' head appeared. He had been sitting in the maternity ward waiting room the entire time, watching people come and go with balloons and flowers, all celebrating the arrival of a new family member.

"I didn't knock in case you were sleeping. I wanted to come when everyone else was gone, in case you wanted to know why I didn't show."

Pan was glad to see him and invited him to come and sit by her, "Did you get to see Goku Jr. They put him in the nursery."

"Yeah, I did. He's very cute; I think he looks a lot like you, Pan." If he didn't know any better, Trunks would never guess that Derrick was the father. Goku looked nothing like him, _thanks the kais for that. _Trunks thought.

"Thanks, I just don't know where the dark blue eyes came from," Pan said.

"Probably your mother's side of the family." Trunks didn't realize till he said it, how that would set off Pan.

Pan bit her lower lip and the waterworks began. She wept for all the things she lost: her innocence her self-respect, her old life, and her parents. In spite of the bitter words and months of silence, Pan still ached to feel her mother's arms around her, and experiencing firsthand how strong a mother's love was for her own child, she felt the pain of losing Videl's love that much more acutely.

Trunks felt Pan's crying was all his fault. He just had to make that comment about her mother. Not sure what was the right thing to do; Trunks climbed onto the bed and enfolded her quaking body in his own. There were no words to comfort her after so many months and not a single word from her parents, so he just whispered shushing noises in her ear, as if were a baby herself. There were so many things Trunks wanted to tell her, about how strong and special she was, but Pan was in no condition to listen. What a shame that Gohan and Videl weren't here to witness how extraordinary their daughter was. But Bulma said, there would be plenty of time after the big event to help put this jigsaw puzzle of a family back together.

Finally Pan's breathing slowed, and she whispered, "Thank you. I'm okay now." Trunks reluctantly sat up and handed her a box of tissues.

"How do you feel?" That was a stupid question.

"Physically? I feel pretty good, considering. I still don't know how he fit."

Trunks couldn't help cringing at the thought of the actual giving birth part. At his age, he still thought that part of a girl's body was for recreation, not procreation. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Not really, I kinda feel sore but not too much. I'll probably fill it tomorrow though. But I guess I won't be thinking about it when he's in my arms and I'm nursing him." Pan took a sip of water and leaned back against the pillow. "I guess this is the new chapter, me and Goku starting our new lives as mother and child."

Trunks sighed inwardly, now that the baby was here, what was this going to mean for him? Would there be a chance to have a relationship Pan, or would the baby be in the way? Without second's hesitation, Trunks knew he would love Pan one matter what and he would love Goku Jr. too. As strange as it was, a big part of him wanted to be Goku's father.

"What are thinking about?" Pan asked, bringing Trunks out of his thoughts of him, Pan and Goku Jr. as a little family.

"Uh, nothing, I was just thinking how you're the bravest person I've ever met." Trunks really meant it. At sixteen to seventeen, Pan had been through more than many people in their entire lives. "Your parents may have made a lot of mistakes along the way, but they most have done something right for you to turn out the way you did."

"I think you're kinda biased," Pan said, her pale cheeks turning pink.

"Maybe a little bit. So what made you think of naming him Goku?"

"Beside that he obliviously looks like my grandpa. I've always had special bond between my grandpa and I wanted to honor him in some way, and what better way than naming my first child after him." Now that Goku was born, Pan could feel her sense of normalcy slowly returning, even though she knew her life could never go back to the way it was. It was time to start a new life as a mother, and it was also time to pick up the pieces of her life from nine months ago, but Pan couldn't believe she would simply be able to stroll back into the classroom, as if she'd been out for a couple of months with mono.

"I think that's great name." _And you're an amazing girl, Son Pan, _Trunks wanted to say, but as desperate as he was to get close to her and tell how he really felt, he realized that declaring his undying love, effectively hitting on her a few hour after giving birth, was probably bad form. "Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want something to read?" Bulma had said to be there for Pan, however she needed him, and he was determined to do that.

"I'm fine. You look so worried. I'm really fine. The doctor said that Goku and I can go home tomorrow," Pan said, thinking again how lucky she was to know this astonishing boy. All by himself, he had managed to restore her faith in the entire male gender.

"What about your parents? Are you going to call them now that things are back to normal… almost?" Trunks selfishly didn't want Pan to make up with her parents right away, because that meant she would move out of Capsule Corp. However, if that was what she wanted, what she needed, he would do anything he could to make it happen.

"I don't know what to do, so I'm not doing anything right now."

"Sounds reasonable. Do you know what the date is today?" Trunks was beyond excited, but he didn't want to show it, just in case Pan's news wasn't as good as his had been.

"It's April first. I may be numb with pregnancy pain, but I know the date. What perfect irony that I gave birth on April Fools' Day." Would Goku Jr. think that was funny when he was older?

"That's not what I was talking about. Besides being April Fools' Day, April first is also the day colleges send out their letters."

"Oh shit." Between contractions and holding her son in her arms for the first time, the last thing Pan had been thinking about was where she would be going to school the following year.

"I got into…." Trunks started to say.

Pan cut him off. "Don't tell me. I don't think we should tell each other where we got in or where we plan on accepting. We don't want to make a decision for the wrong reasons, do we?"

When she and Trunks were comparing their college lists months earlier, Pan had fantasized about going to the same college, but after they ended up applying to almost all the same places, she started to worry that she might want to follow him because he made her feel safe, and he might want to follow her because she needed taking care of and he was clearly someone who, like his mom, had a habit of taking care of people, and it all started to feel incredibly co-dependent and psychiatric, rather than heartfelt and romantic, all before a single acceptance letter had been sent. Her greatest fear was that Trunks would come to resent her for compelling him to stay by her side because she was emotionally destitute, a virtual orphan and unwed mother, and not because they were madly in love with each other.

Shutting him out was exactly the opposite of what Trunks had thought Pan would do. Apparently the vibes he thought she'd been sending, especially after the night in her bedroom, were merely his own desperate longings reverberating back onto himself. Whatever had passed between them while she was pregnant must have been nothing more than a happy collision of hormones and romantic lighting. But it had felt like so much more. He would have bet anything that she still cared about him.

Stifling his overwhelming disappointment, Trunks said flatly, "Okay, whatever you want. I brought my laptop if you want to check."

"Thanks."

Surprised and disappointed that Trunks didn't protest her plan to keep it private—if he had put up any fight at all, she would have given in. if Trunks really cared about her, was truly in love with her, as she hoped, wouldn't he insist on knowing what her plans were and sharing his own? Pan needed him to show her how much he wanted to be with her, that he would push and shove his way into her life, even if she seemed determined to keep him at arm's length. It was a test, and tests were stupid, because sometimes people failed them, like now, and Pan was left with information that didn't suit her purposes or expectations. Clearly he wasn't that into her. But it wasn't as if she hadn't misread boy signals before. It was nine short months ago that she actually thought that the coolest kid in school had fallen in love with the co-captain of the math team. Talk about missing the boat. Her people sense had clearly not improved during her pregnancy.

Clicking on her e-mail, Pan bit her lip so that her face wouldn't betray her emotions, which would have been elation, as all four schools had accepted her. Looking up at Trunks, who had been watching her intently, as if he was trying to read the screen's reflection in her eyes, she said, "Okay then."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"So you're really not going to tell me what happened?" Still not ready to believe, not wanted to believe, that Pan was pulling away so suddenly and completely, Trunks asked, "And I'm not allowed to tell you where I got in?"

"No. after we send back our acceptances, then we'll tell each other, but don't you think you should decide where to go based on what _you _want, what_ I'm_ doing" Pan wished Trunks would beg her to tell him where she'd gotten in. she wanted him to tell her that he loved her and needed her and couldn't imagine being away from her. She wanted him to be the person she thought he was that day she had moved into Capsule Corp.

"That's what I'd planned on doing. Did you think I was just going to follow you wherever you went, like a dog?" In truth, he would follow her to the South Pole, in a heartbeat, but that was a revelation better saved for when they'd been married a few years.

"No, of course not, but you might without even realizing it. I know it would affect _my_ decision process if I knew a close friend was going to one of the schools I was considering." As long as she was testing him, she might as well go all the way. If her instincts were right, he was three seconds from throwing his arms around her and shouting out where he was going to college.

Flinching at the word _friend_, Trunks replied, "Well, I'm not like that. I haven't worked so hard for so long to pick a school just because my _friend _is going there."

He could give as good as he got, even though he knew he was being childish, and if he were a real man, he would just tell her how he felt. Well maybe not everything, but at least the part about wanting to be than just a supportive friend, now that Pan could be young woman again. But pride makes people stupid and shortsighted, and Trunks Briefs was no exception. This conversation was not going well at all, but he lacked the maturity and nerve to try and steer it out of the ditch is was fast approaching.

"Hey, girly!" Without even knocking, Bra bounced into the room, nearly hidden by a bunch of balloons. "Sorry I'm late, but I wanted to give you guys a little time alone together," she said, giving her brother the evil eye. "So, how's everything?"

Still not certain she had heard what Trunks said, or more to the point, what he hadn't said, Pan turned to Bra. "I'm good. Thank you so much for being here. You were a huge help."

"That's what best friends are for, right? Holding your foot so you can push a baby out of your, um, you know. Truthfully, it was the most amazing experience I've ever had. I should be thanking you for letting me be there." Turning to Trunks, she said, "You don't know what you missed, big bro. Next time, maybe she'll let _you_ hold her foot."

Turning three shades of crimson, Trunks said nothing, just cleared his throat. His passion for Pan was apparently obvious to everyone but Pan.

Bra laughed at her older brother, who was blushing like a virgin bride. "I still don't know how he fit, even though I saw it happen. You must be pretty sore."

"It's not so bad." There was a continuous echo inside her head as Pan tried to carry on a conversation with Bra while trying to sort out what had just happened with Trunks.

"I never would have believed the human…or in our case, the saiyan/human body was so… stretchy." Bra made a face.

"I don't really need to know all the details," said Pan.

"So where's Goku Jr.?" Despite seven months of smartass comments, Bra was determined to stop calling the baby "The Bean". He was her best friend's baby after all and if her brother played his cards right, Junior would be her nephew.

"He's in the nursery making some new friends." It was hard to imagine her life without that dark blue eyed baby boy.

"Thought you'd be freaking out that he's not in here with you. I thought you'd be attached to the kid like rubber to glue," Bra said.

"I've done enough freaking out for a lifetime in the last nine months. He's fine where he is, and I'm too tired to get upset because he's not in my room." Exhausted in mind and body, Pan was desperate to sleep, but every time closed her eyes, she could see her parents' resentful faces and her heart started to race. Sleep would not be easy.

"I'm going now," Trunks said casually, putting his laptop in his backpack. The girls were ignoring him anyway. It was clear to him that he wasn't wanted there. "I'll see you tomorrow."

After Trunks left, Bra asked, "What's up with him?"

"I think I screwed up," Pan replied.

"What are you taking about? There's nothing you could do or say that could change how he feels about you." Not that Bra was an expert in matters of the heart, but the way Trunks never stopped staring at Pan, he was either in love with her, or there was something wrong with her brother's eyes.

"I'm not so sure. I didn't tell him where I got in to school, and I wouldn't let him tell me where he got in. I think he was insulted."

"Why would you do that? That was dumb. So where _did _you get in? Am _I_ allowed to know?" Bra asked.

"I got in everywhere. Apparently getting knocked up your senior year is just the kind of extracurricular activity they're looking for." Pan wondered whether her situation had really helped her, like having an off-the-wall hoppy—underwater basket weaving, or skydiving. All that mattered now was that she had so completely misinterpreted Trunks' feelings for her, and she didn't know how she was going to get over him.

"Congrats. That's amazing. And my mom's footing the bill. It sounds pretty perfect. Not that you care, but I'm going to NYU. I've always wanted to see what it was like in the states and I heard the fashion's pretty good too," Bra said.

"That's a great place for you. I think I'm going stay in Japan and go to Orange Star University."

"Well, duh. My mom or Chichi-San can take care of Junior while you're at school." _Who wouldn't want the free babysitting? _Bra thought. "But what about my brother, your future husband? Why are you shutting him out? He applied to Orange Star University, too. You could get an apartment together," Bra said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Pan scowled. "I don't want either of us to decide on a college based on what the other one is doing. What happens if we don't work out in the end?"

Bra shook her head. "Full of yourself a little? You're sure he would follow you wherever you went?"

"Maybe," Pan said, realizing the hubris of assuming Trunks' feelings were as intense as hers. Maybe their kisses hadn't meant as much to him as they had to her, or his feelings had faded. When they had been together, it had felt like she was dreaming. Now she wondered if it had all really happened as she remembered it, or was it all just a figment of her desperate imagination.

"And _you_ would follow _him?_"

"I'm afraid I might, and I kind of thought he would follow me, but I think I was wrong, from how he acted when he was just here. He didn't seem to care where I got in. He didn't even try to convince me to tell him where I was going," Pan said, her pride bruised by the ease with which Trunks had given up.

"Haven't you ever heard of the male ego? Of course he's going to pretend he doesn't care. Begging you to tell to him would be like my brother handing you his balls on a silver platter."

"And she's back. I thought the miracle of childbirth might have cleaned up your language." Pan laughed, relived that Bra was still Bra.

"No such luck. Anyway what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me what to do? I'm too tired to think anymore, and you always have all the answers."

"If I were you, which thank kami I'm not, because this is my brother we're taking about. I'd tell him I loved him. But it's none of my business. And it's not like I have any personal experience to work off of."

In Bra's world, everything was blissfully simple and straightforward if you were paying attention. Finding someone who could love you no matter how crappy you looked or how stupid you acted was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. As risky as it might seem to tell a guy you were in love with him, the payoff was so huge, and it was definitely worth taking the chance those feelings might not be reciprocated. If Pan didn't jump on this, she was a moron, but Bra vowed to keep her nose out of this one. Helping her best friend through her pregnancy was one thing, but managing Pan's and her brother's mixed-up love life was another thing altogether.

"No way, not after the conversation we just had. It's not how I thought it was between us, and now I just have to move on." Besides, now was the time to focus on Goku and work on herself. Boys, even one as perfect as Trunks, were merely distractions. Determined to rationalize what had happened, Pan had to paint Trunks as the enemy—otherwise she feared sinking into a wicked postpartum depression.

"Fine, do what you want. Hopefully, you two mules can work it out. You know, you're more like your parents than you think," Bra said.

"I'm nothing like them," Pan protested. Gohan and Videl were cruel and heartless and unforgiving. The last thing in the world Pan wanted was to be compared to them.

"You're not crazy and spiteful like they are, but you're stubborn like them, that's for sure," Bra said. "I'll tell you something my grandpa likes to say sometimes, you can be right or you can be happy, but it's hard to be both."

"What does that even mean?" Pan asked.

"Just look at your mom and dad. They think they're right about you being a bad seed. They won't even try to understand your point of view. But what good does it do them? Do you really think they're happy being right about everything…and alone?"

"It's totally a different situation," Pan muttered.

"Whatever you say, boss." Bra shrugged. "Just remember. You can be right and alone…or you can take a minute to think about what Trunks might be feeling. It's totally up to you."

**Next chapter Pan leaves town with Goku Jr.**


	22. Chapter 22

*Chapter 22: Getting away*

"Welcome home, dear," Dr. and Mrs. Briefs said together as Pan stepped gingerly over the threshold into front hall, carry a sleeping Goku Jr. in her arms, Bulma beside her, Trunks right behind with Pan's suitcase. Now that she was beginning to feel the pain of giving birth, Pan felt like she'd ridden across the country on horseback. Looking up the spiral staircase, she wondered how she and Goku were going to make it up to her room.

"Thank you. It's good to be home." Unconsciously, Pan was starting to consider the Briefs house home: a warm, loving, safe place. Catching herself, she corrected, "I mean it's good to be back here."

Bulma laughed. "You were right the first time. It's good to have you back home and Goku Jr. too. Just because he's out of your tummy now, doesn't mean you have to make any decisions or go anywhere. This is yours and Goku's home for as long as you want it to be."

Tears filled Pan's eyes and if she wasn't holding Goku in her arms, she would have hugged Bulma. This must be that hormone instability that the doctor was talking about. "I love you, Bulma, I really do. You saved me. I wouldn't have made it without you, or you," she continued, turning to Trunks.

Grateful that she still thought he was an important part of her life, even though she had shut him out of the whole college thing, Trunks tried to smile graciously and said, "That's what friends are for, right?"

The last thing he needed was another _friend_. From friend, to more than that, and back again. Hopefully his mother was right—this was just part of the process, and he had to wait until Pan figured it out for herself. But how could that happen if she ended up hundreds or thousands of miles away at college? For the past few months he had held onto this day, the day that the baby was born and Pan was free to move on with her life, hopefully with him. Now Trunks, the friend and bellhop, stood at the bottom of the stairs, awaiting instructions. What he wanted to do was sweep Pan up in his arms and carry both her and Goku Jr. up the stairs, but Bulma would probably say that was crossing the line, which could jeopardize his move into the _more than friend _area. So instead, he stood there like an idiot, watching Pan tentatively mount the first step.

"Where's Pan? I can't find her anywhere." It had been twelve days since Goku Jr.'s birth, and today was supposed to be Pan's first day back at school. Knowing how much she had been dreading this day, Trunks had made a plan with Goten and Bra to ensure that Pan wouldn't be on her own for a minute.

"She's gone. She left with Goku Jr. early this morning," replied Bulma softly.

"Gone? Where did they go? Pan has to go back to school. She didn't even say goodbye." Feeling abandoned and hurt, Trunks appealed to his mother for an explanation. Trying to do everything right, he had only succeeded in driving her away.

"I know. That was on purpose. Here, read the note she left." Bulma sighed and handed Trunks the letter she had already read three times. Although Pan had only been living there for seven months, the house felt empty without her.

_Dear Aunt Bulma and Trunks,_

_I feel terrible saying goodbye this way, but if I did it face to face, I would probably chicken out. After everything that's happen to me, I need to get as far away from here as I can. If I ever want to find my way home again. Does that make sense at all? If not for the two of you, I would have lost myself completely in the last seven months. Bulma, I can't even imagine what would've happened to me if you hadn't have said yes that day Goten called you. You saved two lives. But you can't do everything for me, no matter how wonderful you are, and now I need to figure out who I am, or who I want to be._

_Goku and I are taking a road trip together. You can call it a mother and son bonding trip. We'll be gone for all of May and most of June, and I won't be calling or answering calls so please don't bother trying. I need time to be by myself, with just me and Goku._

_I'm not running away from home, from your home. I'll be back. As for my parents, I don't know what to do yet. I know I have to work that out somehow, but like they say in all those recovery programs, one step at a time. If I work on my relationship with myself all my other relationships will fall into place._

_I love you both more than words can say, _

_Pan_

_P.S. I took the GED exam, so I have my high school diploma, in case you were worried that I'd forgotten about graduating. Mrs. Yuki already knows, and I'm taking the AP exams online. Don't worry, as crazy as all this sounds, I'm still taking care of business._

"She thinks I don't care. That's why she left. I should've spoken up," Trunks said, more to himself than to Bulma.

"It's not your fault, Trunks. This was Pan's decision," Bulma told him, not wanting her son to feel guilty about something he couldn't control.

"But it's dangerous out there in the real world, what if something bad were to happen to Pan and the baby while they're out there?" Trunks knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something were to happen to Pan or Goku Jr. while they were out there on their own. The last twelve days since Goku Jr.'s birth, Trunks had gotten know the little guy. Helping with the feeding and changing a few dippers and playing with him, Trunks was starting to care for Goku as much as he cared for Pan.

"Pan has a good head on her shoulders. She can take care of herself and her baby." Bulma said, wishing she could take away some of Trunks' pain. He looked like a lost puppy.

"Do you really think she'll come back?" Desperate for reassurance, Trunks didn't care that he sounded like a love-struck girl. Even though they would probably be leaving for different colleges in September, he had banked on having the whole summer with Pan, and worried that the perfect days that he had been daydreaming about—swimming at the lake and hiking and picnics—would never be more than stupid fantasies.

"That's what the letter says."

Quickly scanning the letter again, Trunks said, "I can sense out Pan's ki, go check on her and see she's okay. I'll come right back."

"That's ridiculous. She's sounds perfectly fine, very determined, and if she had wanted to say goodbye to you, she would have done so. Do you want to spoil any chance you have with her? As I told you a couple of months ago, you're just going to have to be patient."

"Easier said than done."

"Well, only you can decide if she's worth the wait," Bulma said, knowing full well that while Trunks might not by happy about this latest development, he was so head over heels in love, he had no choice but to sit back and wait for Pan to find her way back home in her own good time.

"You know the answer to that question," Trunks said.

"It's settled, then. Pick your college, finish out the year, and wait for Pan to come home. The only behavior you can control is your own. You can't make Pan get where she needs to go any sooner than she's able to."

"You sound like a shrink, mom."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Bulma said and patted Trunks on the cheek. "Now live your life. You're so young. There's plenty of time for all this to work out before you get your first gray hair."

The night before, Pan was buckling Goku Jr. in his car seat, making sure everything was secure. She had already left the goodbye note for Bulma and Trunks, but knew Bra had required the personal touch. "Hey it's me," Pan said, parking her car beside the West City Park.

"Pan, why are you calling me? We live in the same house. If you want to talk, just come to my room." Bra stifled a yawn. "What? You want to plan our outfits for tomorrow? Wear jeans, if you can stuff yourself into them. I'll see you in the morning." Bra was about to hang up the phone but Pan spoke up.

"That's why I'm calling you, you dimwit. I'm not going back to school. I'm in my car right now; Goku Jr. and I are going away for a while."

Not drawn in by what was obviously a middle-of-the-night attack of cold feet, Bra tried not to laugh. "So you're finally running away with circus. I've thought about doing that myself. Are you going to be tightrope walker, or are you going to clean up after the elephants? Is junior going to be a clown or an acrobat?"

"Could you stop pretending it's open mic night for five whole minutes? This is important," Pan begged. She was about to regret not leaving a note for Bra as well.

"I'm sorry. You're right. It's just a defense mechanism. Speak your piece."

"I'm not going back to school, because I just need to get out of here," Pan answered, waiting for the lecture from Bra about not being a chicken and letting a bunch of high school nobodies scare her out of town. She wondered if she solely existed to feed Bra's lectures and jokes.

"But why are you running away, when things are just getting back to normal. You're a skinny girl again. No more baby bump. I thought we'd spend the last couple of months of senior year together." Bra was feeling like this was it, she was losing her best friend forever.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't go back. I need to figure some stuff out, and I can't do that here, in front of everyone, my parents. Except for one run-in at the grocery store, I haven't seen them in almost seven months, and I'm not ready to face them yet."

"I know it's none of my business, but with my mom practically adopting you, why do you need your dumbass, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial—I could go on—parents?"

"But they're still my parents. Doesn't that bond mean anything? I have Goku Jr. and the two minutes I spent with him the day he was born, I fell in love with him. I'm tied to him forever. Holding him in my arms changed me for life. I don't even know how to describe it." Pan looked at Goku Jr. in the back, in his car seat playing with his Cookie Monster toy and smiling at with that smile that was passed down from her grandfather to the other generation of Son's. And gave him the same smile.

"Not necessarily. Look at Derrick. He's Goku Jr.'s father, but he barely deserves the title sperm donor. Two minutes of fucking doesn't make people parents."

"But Gohan and Videl were my parents for seventeen years before this happened. We were a happy family. That's not just biology."

"You were a happy family because you were every parent's dream…up until the moment you weren't. You're beautiful, you're a fucking genius, you have perfect manners, excellent taste in shoes, and you help old people across the street. Until you blacked out and let Privet Prick plant his flag in your brave new world, you were like the Hope Diamond."

"How can people feel like that about their own child, their own flesh and blood? I can't believe such a thing could be true." That Gohan and Videl could love her only when she was lovable was a notion Pan didn't want to wrap her head around, even though Bra's explanation seemed to be the only one left that made any sense after so long.

"You think you're the only kid who ever got kicked out of the house for getting pregnant, or being gay, or breaking some other inviolable house rule? Like I told you a long time ago, parents are just people. Having a baby can't turn pea-brained half-wits into benevolent saints. Gohan and Videl are the perfect example."

"I guess so, but…." Pan didn't have an answer. If what Bra was saying wasn't true, then Pan wouldn't be living with the Briefs and probably wouldn't be fleeing to kami knew where to concur her fears of everything that had happened to her in the last nine months.

"Look, I'm not trying to say anything bad about your grandparents, but they must have done something wrong for Gohan and Videl to be so fucked up and your parents just never had a chance to unpack their baggage, so they ended up dumping it on you. It's not your fault, and you shouldn't ruin your life trying to figure it out. Take my word, it's not you. It's _them_. Your only job is not to repeat their mistakes. That's all. Love Goku as you wanted to be loved by your parents. That's the greatest key of being a parent."

Playing psychiatrist at midnight wasn't easy, but Bra had spent a lot of time thinking about Pan's relationship with her folks. Not that Bulma and Vegeta were perfect—far from it—but Bra knew she was deeply loved by the both of them. And that _was _worth more than anything in the universe.

"Thank you, B-Chan. You're crazy, but you're the smartest person I know, and I love you. I'll see you when I get back. I won't be answering any calls or text messages, so I guess I'll see you when I see you."

"I love you too, P-Chan. I'm going to miss you at graduation. I guess I'll have to keep all the awards for myself. Go get sane, and be careful. You're really important to me. Bye." Bra hung up the phone before her voice broke. If Pan knew she was crying, she'd never hear the end of it.

"Bye," Pan said to the empty line.

**Next chapter Pan finds work at a little diner.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Okay I've finally got done editing two chapters hopefully there's not that many misspellings of grammar fubbles. Yes I know that not a real word I just like saying that fubble, fubble, fubble, okay shut your mouth already Saphire and get on with the story. **

*Chapter 23: Jade's Diner*

"I don't know about you, Goku, but I'm hungry. What you say we stop in at that diner and get something to eat." It had been two weeks since she and Goku had started their mother, son adventure. They were far away from everyone and Pan's problems.

Goku Jr. giggled at his mother and was talking to her in his own language. Pan smiled at him, taking him out of his car seat and heading inside the diner.

Pan chose a table in the back corner and pushed the baby bag behind her feet. She wondered how long she was going to be able to keep doing this, she was fastly running out of money and if she didn't find a job to feed Goku and herself, she just might have to head back home and back to all her problems.

Someone banged on a table a few feet away from her, making her and Goku, who was in her arms, jump.

A man who looked like rough truck driver hollered. "What's taking so long? I've been waiting for nearly an hour already. Where's the stake I ordered?"

A tall green haired medium build teenage boy who looked to be Pan's age, hurried out of the back room and tried to quiet the angry man with a whispered expansion of the delay, but that only incensed the man's further. Face red, he grabbed the boy and held him up to his face. "Sick, _ha!_ Drunk is what you mean!" he shoved the boy back, banging him into another table. The trucker headed for the door, slamming it behind him so hard the windows rattled.

The boy ducked into the back room again, probably to escape the scrutiny of the dozens of other truck drivers still waiting for service and food. Several got up and left. Pan didn't know whether to follow their lead or not. If things got any crazier, she feared that maybe someone would throw a table or something. But she stayed, where else were she and Goku Jr. gonna go? There wasn't another place to eat for miles.

Three more people gave up on waiting to find out whether food was coming or not. Pan and four others remained. The boy returned with a nervous smile on his face. "We have clam chowder and biscuits." The four remaining truck drivers vacated the premises with disgruntled remarks about having enough of that to last a lifetime.

The boy shoulders sagged in defeat. Not noticing Pan or her baby in the corner. "Jade, Mai, there gone," The boy called out and a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, early thirties and a girl who looked be a teenage version of the woman, came out from the back and sighed.

"Well, that's it, you guys. We're out of business," The woman told the two teenagers and walked to the front door, flipped the sign over and put her forehead against the wall.

Pan felt sorry for them. She might not have known what it was like to lose a business, but she did know what it was like to be down on her luck. "Should I leave?" she asked quietly. The three of them turned, and blushed with embarrassment at noticing that there was a girl with a baby at the corner.

"We're sorry, we didn't know you were there," said the teenage girl, "would like some clam chowder and biscuits? And some milk for your baby?"

"Please."

The boy disappeared in the back while the girl grabbed some napkins and placed them at Pan's table. The boy returned, he set a dish down in front of Pan and a milk in a water bottle for the baby and backed off leaning against counter with the girl while the woman stood where she was.

The biscuit was as hard as a rock and chowder was burned. Frowning, she looked up at them. "Coffee?" the boy asked and poured her some in a mug. It was so strong, Pan winced."

"I don't mean to be rude, but you guys really need a new cook," Pan said with playful smile, putting the mug down and pushed the plate aside.

"Are you asking for employment?" the woman asked finally speaking.

"Me?" Pan asked surprised.

"Yes, that is if you want the job and can cook… you can cook… right?" the woman asked.

"Um.., yeah, my grandma taught me everything she knows. And though I'm far from the greatest cook in the world, I can do a lot better than this." Pan pointed at the chowder, that she could have sworn it had grown eye balls.

"In that case you're hired!" the lady told her walked over to where the two kids were standing. "I'm Jade Marker, this is my daughter Mai and her boyfriend, Jyden Bram," Jade introduced herself and the kids.

"Hi, I'm Son Pan, and this my son, Goku," Pan introduced herself and her son. "I really appreciate this, but you gotta know I don't really have any place to go…so maybe I should find some place first."

"You don't need to," Mai said, "We live at the diner, and so do our employees. You can have the cooks quarters, once he's done packing."

"So what you know how to cook?" Jade asked taking a seat beside Pan.

"Well I got some recipes that could really spice up your diner, soups, burgers, salads, pies, cakes, if you've got the supplies, I can make them.

Mai and Jyden hugged each other and started jumping around, "It's a miracle! We're saved!" Mai shouted happily and kissed Jyden.

"You're really answer to our prayers, Pan. We feared we were going to have close the business. You know what that drunk of the latest cook did? He relieved himself in the soup and served it all day Monday. He told me that night. I thought we would have had our diner burned down by outraged costumers, and he just laughed and said he was seasoning the broth. I won't even tell you what he did this morning."

Pan looked down at the bowl in front of her, "Did he do anything to the chowder?"

"Nothing that I know about."

"Why don't I feel reassured?"

"Come in the kitchen, and I'll show you what we got on hand, and you can see what you can do with it."

The diner was doing much better with Pan as a cook; the truckers flocked to Jade's diner to get a taste of the delicious food. In the time that past, Pan got to know everyone at the diner better. Jade was a single mother and moved into the little town when Mai was thirteen. Mai and Jyden had met in high school and really hit it off and had been dating ever since. Mai had even told her that she and Jyden could have been parents, but an accident happened and Mai lost the baby. the strange part about it though, was that Mai had lost her baby the day that Pan found out she was pregnant with Goku Jr.

Pan felt kinda guilty. Jade, Mai and Jyden were so open and she hardly talked about her past. She knew she needed own to her past if she was ever going to move beyond it, and owning it meant acknowledging it. Pan was sitting in the kitchen one night feeding Goku, who had woken her up at three in the morning. After his bottle was warmed up and she started feeding him, she started thinking about Trunks. As much as she tried to put him out of her mind, she wondered what he was doing, whether he had gone to the senior prom, where he was going to college, and most of all, if he would still want to be her other best friend when she got back.

"Hey." Jade had appeared out of nowhere. Pan hadn't even seen the door open.

"Can't sleep?" Pan asked her.

Jade shook her head and took a seat beside Pan, "You mind if I held him?" she asked.

Pan smiled, "No, not at all." She gave Goku to Jade and she started gently rocking him to and fro. "He's such a beautiful baby, Pan. It must have been a difficult decision… keeping the baby and losing everything you knew."

Pan was stunned for second, how could Jade know? She never told anything. "How do…?"

"Because you remind me of myself when I was your age. I can just see that weight of the world on your shoulders look in your eyes. Did I tell I was no older than you were when I gave birth to Mai?"

"No you didn't."

"I was fifteen when I found out I was pregnant and the father was someone I hardly knew but said I was everything he wanted and there was no girl like me and you can just name it. I fell into his web and I got pregnant. I was so scared, I thought about getting an abortion but I knew that was murder, so I told my parents and they were furious and my father demanded that I had to get an abortion, he even dragged me to the clinic but I refused to abort the baby. My father was pissed beyond reasoning and said if I didn't want to do it the easy way, than he would just have beat the baby right out of me."

Pan gasped, "That's awful. Did he…?"

Jade nodded, "He beat me so badly that if my mother hadn't of come home and stopped him in time, I would have died." Pan felt disgusted, not even her parents were that bad. They were not talking her, sure. But at least they never laid a hand on her. "I woke up at the hospital and doctor told I was very lucky and that the baby was fine too. My mother came to visit me and told that I had to move out of the house because her and my father were not going to tolerate having and unwed pregnant teen daughter and unwanted grandchild living in there house. Since I refused to get an abortion I was no longer their daughter and had to move from place to place during the nine months of my pregnancy. Finally when I turned sixteen, I gave birth to Mai and she's been my world ever since. We moved from place to place till she was thirteen and we've been living here ever since."

"Wow, Jade I would have never guessed. My situation seems like a walk in the park compared to yours." Pan couldn't imagine going through what Jade went through and coming out the other side, happy and full of life. "I only got kicked out of the house and my parents aren't talking to me. But I had people there for me through the whole thing. Here I am feeling sorry for myself, thinking I'm the only one who's gone through this. And here you are and you've been through so much worse," Pan said.

"We all have our different stories, Pan. With our own scenarios that make us stronger when we reach the other side." Jade reach out and gave Pan a squeeze on the arm. "All we can do is not replete our parents' mistakes and raise our child as they should be raised. It was like when Mai told me she was pregnant. I was not all that happy about it, but I wasn't about to disown her for it. I already knew what that was like and didn't want Mai to experience that.

"Mai told me a little of what happen, she lost the baby in an accident."

Jade nodded. "A car accident, she and Jyden were hit by a drunk driver on their way back home from her breathing classes. It was pretty bad. It had left Jyden in a coma for two months and Mai suffered head trauma and few broken bones and losing the baby on top of that. It devastated the both of them, but they got through it together and they're still so deeply in love." Jade smiled and handed Goku back to Pan.

"You have a very extraordinary family Jade," Pan told her.

"Thank you, honey. I liked having this little talk." Jade got up and headed back to her room.

"Goodnight Jade."

**Next chapter Pan and Goku Jr. get trapped in a snowstorm**


	24. Chapter 24

*Chapter 24: Trapped in a blizzard*

Working for Jade for the past month and half was great; she had learned a lot from that woman who had been through as much as Pan had herself had and Jade had come through the other side pretty well and that gave Pan hope that she too would get through this as a new and better person. Mai and Jyden were awesome too; they were the most amazing young couple she had ever met. All the things they had been through and still they were strong and deeply in love. Mai had told her it was because, "If you truly love one another, nothing you go through will tear you part from the one you love, even losing your child. You heal through it together and in the end you become stronger."

Mai was wise beyond her years and Pan took everything she said to heart. It was her day off, and Pan made her way to the laundry mat and some other errands, getting more supplies for the diner, groceries for herself and Goku. It was the end of the day when she finally got everything done.

"You ready to head back to Jade's and get something to eat, sweetie?" Pan asked, as she strapped Goku Jr. into his car seat.

Goku clapped his hands and giggled, making Pan laugh lightly. "Aright, baby I hear you." Pan got into the driver's seat and headed back to Jade's. She started singing to Goku the wheel on the bus, keeping him entertained, when suddenly drops of snow hit her windshield.

"What the heck?" Pan asked and more drops of snow kept falling. It was snowing in the middle of June? That was beyond bazaar to Pan. She knew she better hurry back to Jade's or she just might get stuck in this snow that was hastily turning into a storm. Pan put on her wipers, making it better for her to see the road.

Suddenly a dear came out of nowhere and Pan swerved to avoid hitting it but in the process, she didn't see that she was heading off the road and into a muddy deep ditch. Through all the tumbling, Pan had gotten knock out briefly, gaining consciousness; she could hear Goku Jr. in the back crying in his car seat. "It's okay, Goku, sweetie. We're okay. Mommy's going get us out of this." Pan turned on the car light and was relieved that Goku Jr. was fine; he didn't have a scratch on him.

The wind was howling now and Pan knew she couldn't get the car out of the ditch. So she would just have to hope that Jade and the others would come looking for them soon. She knew they would start worrying by the time dinner was over and Pan still wasn't home.

Turning on the heater, Pan made her way to the back seat to comfort her crying son. "Shhh…Shhh…mommy's right here, baby. I'm not going let anything happen to you, Goku. Shhh…Shhh..." Hours passed and Pan was starting to get worried, from the sound of the wind outside, it sounded like a blizzard was happening. What if Jade, Mai and Jyden couldn't get to her and Goku Jr.? What if they were buried in by the snow? What if they died in this freak storm? Well she was going to make damn well sure that her son would survive this. Even she had strip herself naked and bundle in up in her own clothing to keep him warm. She tried to remember what she was taught at camp when she was a little about avoiding hypothermia and frostbite. She dug into the laundry bag, putting on every piece of Goku's clothing on him to keep him warm and wrapped his baby blanket tightly around him. She then put on some her own clothing and saved the rest in case Goku would need more warmth later. There was nothing else to do now but wait for it to stop snowing, and possibly find her way back to Jade's on foot. But what if it didn't stop? What if she really just might freeze to death in her car, in a ditch, in the middle of the highway, in the middle of June, four thousand miles away from home? After talking herself out of a full-on panic attack, Pan decided that it wasn't so much the dying part that she feared, but the thought that she would leave so much unfinished business behind, so many things that she had wanted to tell people but had been too much of a coward to say. Reaching over to the front and digging out of pad of paper and pen from her glove compartment, Pan decided to finish her business.

_Dear Aunt Bulma,_

_There aren't enough words in the world to express my gratitude. I feel blessed to have gotten so close to you, and I love you with all my heart._

_Pan_

Although her letter to Bulma was way too short, Pan really felt there was nothing she could say adequately thanks to the woman who had taken her in without even batting an eye and had become her substitute mother over the seven months she was living with her and her amazing family. Better to keep it simple. Besides, Bulma already knew how much Pan loved her.

_Dear Goten,_

_I guess if you're reading this than I've froze to death in the back of my car. I'm leaving Goku Jr. in your legal guardianship, I wouldn't trust him with anyone better and I know you'll take really good care of him. I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me that day my parents kicked me out of the house. I know your my uncle and it's somewhat of your duty as family to make sure I'm taken care of but I still appreciate it and I don't know where I would have been if you didn't come running up our driveway that day. I love you Goten, you're the best uncle/like a big brother a girl could ever ask for. Take care of Goku and tell him about his mother, who never got a chance to be there for him, but loved him so much and still does._

_Pan _

She hoped Goten would never have to receive that letter and she could see his goofy smile again and hug him and tell him how much she cared for him in person.

_Dear Trunks,_

_This is one of those letters you write when you think you might not get to tell someone everything you wanted to say in person. I'm sitting in the back of my car with Goku Jr. about to be buried in snow in middle of a freak June blizzard. This is supposed to be my moment, the culmination of everything I've learned out here—how to dig deep inside myself and find a wellspring of strength to carry me out of harm's way—at least that's what my friend, Mai has been telling me. But I'm not so sure I'm going to make it out of this one, and if I don't, I just want to tell you everything that I didn't have the guts to tell you before I left._

_I'll never forget the moment you opened the door to my room the day I moved into your family's house. You were wearing a shirt that was exactly the same color as your eyes, and I think I fell in love with you right then. It wasn't how you looked—it was how you looked at me. With a single glance, you seemed to know who I was, to understand me better than anyone I'd ever met, and you liked me in spite of the stupid, self-destructive thing I had done. But I was afraid that you could never love me because of it. I squandered something precious that I should have saved for someone special, and I'm not sure anyone will ever be able to love me the way I want to be loved, especially not by someone as extraordinary as you._

_Through all those awful months, when I was wishing I could just disappear into the ground, you held my hand. I'll never be able to repay you for that, and then I screwed it up right at the end, as usual. When you visited me in the hospital after Goku was born I behaved so badly, and I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you where I was accepted for two reasons. First, I didn't want you to feel obligated to go wherever I went so you could take care of me…I know, that's incredibly narcissistic. Secondly, I was testing you…I know, even more idiotic. I wanted you to stand up to me, to love me enough to bare your soul, even as I was pushing you away. Does that make any sense at all? Did you love me then? I hope a little bit. Anyway, if you're reading this, I'm a dead frozen saiyan/human popsicle in the back my car so it doesn't matter now, but just know I would have followed you to the ends of the earth._

_That night in the attic when you kissed me, you healed my heart. And then, in my bedroom…I feel warmer just remembering how your lips felt on mine. How I wished those had been my very first kisses, because they are the only ones that ever mattered, that ever will matter. You made me feel special, cherished, and most of all, worthy of love. _

_I love you, Trunks Briefs. More than you'll ever know._

_Pan_

Hopefully Trunks would never have to read it, and she could tell him everything in person.

Now Pan needed to write to her parents. Even if she survived the snowstorm in one piece, she knew she wouldn't be able to face them head on when she got home and say all the things that needed to be said. Looking into her mother's eyes, her father telling her that Goku Jr. would have to be a big family secret—she would be sobbing within seconds and nothing would be resolved. But what to say? Bra's speech the night before Pan had left had given her much food for thought. It was no different from her speech the previous summer when she so accurately predicted how Gohan and Videl would react to the baby news, but since Pan had become a mother herself, she was privy to an emotion she had never before understood, and she now knew that Bra had been right all along. The love of a parent for a child was, or was supposed to be, fundamental. It was irrefutable, like gravity and breathing, and the fact that shit happens and nothing ever stays the same shouldn't destroy a love that powerful.

_Dear Mama and Daddy,_

_First I want to say how sorry I am that I disappointed you. I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally, because you are my parents and I have always tried to be the best person I could be, and I almost was. But nobody's perfect, not even your daughter. I still don't have a decent explanation for what happened to me on July forth last year, an explanation that would satisfy you. Maybe you can't remember what it's like to be young and confused and staring into the perfect face of a seemingly perfect boy who says that you're perfect too. It's still not a justification for what I did, but I'm hoping that you can appreciate at least a little bit of what I was going through._

_Secondly, as disappointed as you are in my behavior, I am just as disappointed in yours. I know I did a stupid thing, but no matter what I did, I'm still your daughter, and he's your grandson, we're not some strangers you can blow off at the first sign of trouble. You chose to have a child, and when you did that, you took on a major responsibly—to take care of me and love me, no matter what. I'm just learning these emotions myself, being the mother to the most special baby boy in the world. My heart aches knowing that you don't love me without reservation, that you could love me only as long as I played the role of model child to model parents._

_I want us to be a family again. I want you be apart Goku Jr.'s life. I'm seventeen now and I will always be your daughter, but I am no longer your child. This is me trying to make it right between us. Now it's your turn. _

_Your daughter,_

_Pan_

Reading what she'd written, Pan wondered if she would ever have the courage to send this letter to her parents if she actually survived the snowstorm. She had become a totally new person in the last year—the old Pan would never have been able to say those things. In fact, the old Pan would never have even have thought those things. But it was all true, and if her parents were ever going to salvage some sort of a relationship, they were going to have to hear it.

Pan put down her pen and paper and bundled up Goku Jr. some more. The only thing showing was his cute little nose, which she kissed tenderly. She started singing to him one of her favorite lullabies, when she was a little girl. Maybe everything was going to turn out all right in the end and she and Goku Jr. could go back home and see their loved ones again.

**Next chapter Trunks take's a drive to Mt. Pazou's. You can only guess where he's going.**


	25. Chapter 25

*Chapter 25: A chat with Gohan*

Standing on the Son's front porch, Trunks had no idea what he was going to say, but at this point he had nothing to lose, and his natural sense of order made him want to put Pan's life back together, even if she and the baby were thousands miles who knew where and she hadn't texted him a single word in more than several weeks, and probably wouldn't appreciate him butting into her family business, especially since he was just a friend. Maybe he simply missed her, and talking to her parents was the next best thing to being with her.

Bulma thought it was a lousy idea. "You really shouldn't meddle, dear. Pan will deal with her folks when she's good and ready," Bulma scolded gently.

"Mom, really? You're _always_ sticking your nose in other people's business, trying to fix things." Of all people, Trunks had thought his mom would understand what he was trying to do and support him.

"I know, Trunks, the pot calling the kettle black and all that, but I'm trying to control those urges myself, and I don't want you to spend your life trying to solve people's problems when you have plenty of your own issues to work on."

"But I _am _working on mine. If Pan makes up with her parents, she'll be able to focus on her relationship with me…maybe." Needing his mother to put her seal of approval on his idea, Trunks argued his case. "Anyway, doing nothing is making me antsy."

"I don't know about that. But if you do decide to go over there, keep your guard up. Gohan and Videl have gotten a little nutty, who knows what Gohan might do to you," Bulma said clearly worried for her only son. Pan's parents had really become unstable in the last year, and Bulma was scared if Gohan was angered enough, he could really hurt Trunks.

Now Trunks tried to peek through the gap between the drawn curtains. It didn't look like anyone was at home. Suddenly a rush of footsteps was getting louder, and Gohan threw open the front door. Bulma was right—Gohan looked like a lunatic, his hair was standing in every direction, making him look like a mad scientist. His shirt half-untucked.

"Yes?" Gohan's eyes widen when he saw who it was and instantly regretted opening the door without looking through the peephole. "Trunks...? What are…? I don't have time for this."

Before Gohan could slam the door, Trunks stepped forward to block it. "I need to you Gohan."

Gohan stared at Trunks. He had gotten back late that night before from South City, and he was too wiped out to think clearly. Spending the last two month going from lecture to lecture in various colleges, he hadn't had a conversation that wasn't work-related since early March. "What do you want, Trunks?" Not in the mood to waste his precious time playing guessing games with Bulma's kid, Gohan took a deep breath and waited. Trunks had five seconds to state his case.

"I've come to talk to you about Pan, sir," Trunks said putting his respectful face on. He hoped someday that he would be asking Gohan for his permission to marry his daughter—assuming Pan ever spoke to them again, and assuming he could somehow figure out how to make her fall in love with him—Trunks wanted to stay on Gohan's good side.

Gohan just stood there, eyebrows arched. The fatigue was overwhelming; his brain was struggling to understand what Trunks was taking about. "Is she okay? Did something happen?"

So lost in his own little world, and so determined to block out his daughter's inappropriate behavior, he hadn't been keeping track of the calendar. Why wasn't Videl here to help him with this? The day before he'd left for South City, Videl had gone to North-West City to stay with her old friend, Erasa, who was recovering from major surgery after a bad car accident. She had called the hospital in Satan City where she worked at and said she was taking a leave of absence, and that was it. A year ago at this time they were the ideal family, and he had no idea how to fix things.

"She's gone, Gohan," Trunks answered.

Before Trunks realized that the word _gone_ could be interpreted in multiple ways, Gohan fell to his knees, gasping for air, tears coming down freely. "Omigod! She's dead!" Gohan gasped out before he started breaking down. He couldn't believe it, his daughter was dead, gone forever and there was no going back, he would never see his little girl again.

"No, Gohan. I'm sorry. I didn't mean…Pan is fine. She's not dead. She just went away with the baby after he was born."

"W-what?" Gohan asked looking up, "She's alive? Trunks, you really should be more careful about your wording. I nearly had a heart attack." Only when Gohan believed he might have lost his precious baby girl did he realize how much he loved her. It was hard to imagine how he had gotten to this point where the only information he had about his only child was being provided by his little brother's best friend. "Is the baby healthy?" Gohan lay back on the floor and stared at the ceiling, trying to slow his galloping heart, letting the blood return to swirling brain.

"Pan is well. She had a little boy. His name is Goku Jr. and he really dose look like his name's sake, except he's got really dark blue eyes. I have a picture of him I took a few months ago, if you'd like to see, and Pan went away somewhere, I have no idea where. She said she needed to get away from here for a while." Surprised and relived that not only hadn't Gohan done anything that could be consider insane, but that he seemed truly interested in and concerned about Pan and the baby. Trunks waited for the information to sink into Gohan's shocked system.

"He really _dose _look like my father," Gohan said, he had taken the picture Trunks had handed to him and looked at the smiling face of Goku Jr. in his crib, his tail lazily resting at his side, toys displayed at the corner, and a _Cat in the Hat _book by his feet. _This is really my grandson? I can't believe it. _Gohan thought as he handed Trunks the picture back. "Wait, you said Pan went away with the baby? What about finishing high school? How will she graduate if she's who knows where out there?"

"She already took the GED. She's very responsible." Maybe not totally true, since she _had_ gotten pregnant, but except for that single mishap, Pan was the most together girl Trunks had ever met. "Your daughter is an amazing person, Gohan, but you already know that."

Gohan grunted. Of course Pan was amazing—she was his daughter. Suddenly it occurred to Gohan that Trunks might be more than just a friend. Had Pan sent her new boyfriend over to see which way the wind was blowing? Noting the ten-thousand-dollar driver's watch, the Cole Haan loafers and not to mention the fact that _he_ was the _heir_ of the Capsule Corporation, Gohan had to admit that Trunks seemed far more capable of taking care of Pan than the teenage Casanova who had talked her out of her virginity in the back of his truck and then disappeared like Houdini.

"Dose Pan know you're here, Trunks?"

"No, sir, she would be furious with me if she knew I was here, but I just thought you would want to know how she and the baby were doing. I know this whole situation has been really hard on her, and I imagine it's been the same for you."

Trying to diplomatic, trying to win this man's trust, Trunks didn't give a shit about Gohan's emotional state. Anybody who could kick his daughter out of the house, and not only not go after her but continue to reject her for the better part of a year, had to be one missed, fucked up father.

Not knowing how to respond to that, Gohan said, "Videl is out of town. I don't know when she'll be back."

As soon as Trunks left, Gohan was going to call Videl. It was time to put aside their Plans A-Z and finally do something to fix their capsize ship of a family. Goten had warned him this day would come, the day he would regret everything he did in hurting Pan and boy was it crashing down on him. Even his father had force his way into it and tried to reason with him about forgiving Pan, telling him that she had done nothing wrong but bring another life into the world and if that was really a crime punishable by rejecting his only child his love. He had lashed out at his father and told some very hurtful things about how Goku had never really been there for him and that he had abandoned him mutable times as a child. But Gohan regretted saying that the moment he said it. He knew his father never tried to leave him or his mother on purpose. Goten and his father were right about everything and he'd come to realize it. Things were out of hand, and he and Videl were the ones who needed to set things right between them and Pan.

"Pan and the baby are supposed to be coming home sometime in the next couple of weeks." That would give Pan's parents plenty of time to work out a plan to mend the mile-wide rift between them. Gohan's tears had spoken volumes, as long as he could hang onto that emotion now that he knew Pan was neither dead nor in danger.

"Videl will certainly be home by then. By the way," Gohan said as he got to his feet, "Where did Pan decide to go to college?" How odd it felt to be so uninformed about such an important decision.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me," Trunks said.

Definitely not the boyfriend then, Gohan thought. Pan wouldn't keep that information a secret if she loved Trunks. "Oh, I see. Well, thank you for stopping by, Trunks. Is there a way to get in touch with Pan?"

When Videl got home, they were going to have to come up with a way to say how sorry they were, maybe even outright beg Pan for her forgiveness.

"I don't think so, she said she wouldn't be answering calls or text messages while she was out there, saying she needed that time to think and get things straighten out for herself before talking to everyone again."

"Make sense." Gohan opened the front door. "It was nice to see you, Trunks. Send my regards to your mother for me."

"Nice to see you too, Gohan. I'll tell my mom you said hi." Trunks could barely keep a straight face until he was down the driveway and in his car. Sending his regards to the woman he had threaten to charge with trespassing after she demanded that he put Pan back in the insurance policy? Gohan definitely had a few screws loose, but he seemed pretty harmless, and he sounded like he was ready to repair his broken family. Maybe there could be a happy ending to Pan's story, and his.

**Next chapter Pan comes back and tells Trunks everything.**


	26. Chapter 26

*Chapter 26: Confessions of Love and Forgiveness*

It felt like she'd been gone for a year, but it had only been a little over two months. Sixty-three day, to be exact. She didn't think she was going to make it through that night in the blizzard, but she did. Jyden and Mai had found them the next morning and after they insisted that Pan and Goku Jr. get a checkup from the doctor, in case of frost bite. Pan decided it was time to go home. Now as Pan walked around the back of Bulma's house, she could hear a girl giggling and a guy chuckling. She recognized the giggling girl as Bra…but who was the guy? Adjusting Goku Jr. in her arms she quietly made her way to where the laugher was coming from to see Bra and Goten sitting on a bench by the bushes, making out.

Pan held a gasp. Her uncle and her best friend? She would never thought in a million years. Pan smirked, as an idea came to her. "Goten, look out! Vegeta's coming!" she screamed.

Goten got this wide eyed look on his face and jumped into the bushes as Bra tried to straighten out her outfit and started saying, "Daddy I can explain everything." She looked around but didn't see her father anywhere. In fact, her father wasn't even home, her mother was dragging him on one her shopping sprees. It was the only reason why she and Goten were even daring to make out in the opening of the backyard.

Bra turned toward the side of the house when she heard laughter, and saw Pan laughing her ass off while holding a giggling Goku Jr. "Oh man, that was classic. I couldn't have done it better if I tried. What you think, Goku? Is your mommy a good prankster or what?" Pan asked lightly pinching his nose and Goku just giggled and started talking in baby language. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Pan?" Bra said, half angrily and happily. Angry because Pan ruined a perfectly great make out session, happy because she was back.

"Hi Bra, it's nice to see you, the both of you," Pan said, smirking when Goten poked his head out of the bushes when he figured the coast was clear.

"Hey Panny, Goku, my favorite niece and nephew are back!" Goten said happily and jumped out of the bushes and ran at Pan and Goku Jr. and embraced them both in a hug.

"Goten, we're your only niece and nephew," Pan said, rolling her eyes but so happy to see him again.

Goten just shrugged. "You're still my favorites."

Pan smiled at Bra and they gave each other a hug. "So… tell me, how did this happen?" Pan asked, taking about Bra and Goten being together.

"It happened at the senior prom, and then well it became official during the summer." Bra was blushing the whole time she was explaining.

Pan was so happy for the both of them, and they did make a pretty cute couple. "Where's Trunks? I really need to talk to him."

"He's in the poolroom," Bra told her. "You want us to take junior, while you talk to, Trunks?" She asked taking Goku Jr. from Pan.

"Yeah, thanks you guys. We'll take some more later." Pan ran across the grass and made her way to the poolroom. She took a deep a breath as she came to the door; she could her splashing in the pool. She opened the door and walked in. As she stood at one end, waiting for Trunks to reach her, she thought about what she was going to say. Spending weeks wandering around Jade's diner, cooking, cleaning messes and washing dishes, had given her plenty of time to think, but now that the moment was at hand, her mind went blank. The love letter she'd put in her glove compartment to be deliver if she had froze to death in her car that night was now in her back pocket. She supposed she could use that as a crib sheet, but she didn't want her declaration of love to turn into the delivery telegram. After everything she'd put Trunks through, he deserved to hear her whole heart, without notes.

Grabbing the side of the pool, Trunks did a double take, rubbing the water out of his eyes. "Pan, you're back."

Although her note had promised she would come home, Trunks hadn't been sure. He'd been wrong about Pan before. Quickly climbing out of the pool, Trunks wrapped a towel around his waist, but not before Pan gave him a quick up-and-down. It had been a long sixty-three days, and she had forgotten how handsome he was.

"I'm going to Orange Star University," Pan blurted out. "And I should have told you before, but I didn't want you to choose, or not choose, a school because of me. And I know that's conceited to think that you would base the most important decision of your life on some stupid pregnant girl your mom took in like stray mutt, but I would have followed you to the top of Mt. Everest, and you seemed like you liked me a lot, at least for a little while, but I know I was wrong about that, and I'm sorry I acted like an idiot. I understand now that you were just being nice, trying to get me through a really rough patch, and it worked, and I'm grateful. I would have never made it to the end without you. But I behaved like a fool after Goku was born. Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe I was just confused, but now I got it all straighten out, and I hope we can at least be friends."

If not for the fact that she had run out of air, Pan would probably have kept talking, trying to apologize and make Trunks understand that even if he didn't want her for anything more than a friend, that would be enough, because after more than two months without him, she realized that she couldn't imagine _not _having him in her life. All that stuff about loving him that had flowed so easily from her pen when she thought she was about to cash in her chips was too scary to say out loud when he was standing two inches away and her heart was in her throat. Maybe she would find her backbone when he put some clothes on.

"Are you done yet?" Trunks asked, placing his cool, wet hand on Pan's warm face, her pale cheeks flushed from not taking a breath. He wanted to save this moment like a snapshot in the photo album of his mind—the moment Pan came back to him.

Pan nodded.

"Okay, then. I'm going to Orange Star University, too." Torn between Princeton and Orange Star University. Bulma had tipped the scale. "I had a dream that you were still in Japan, and you were very happy. Take it for what it's worth," his mother had said, winking. He wondered if Pan had told her what she had decided, or if his mother had a source in the admissions office. But she swore she knew nothing it was just another one of her feelings.

"Really?" Maybe, just maybe….

"Really, and there's something else, something I should have said before you left, but you were acting weird, which you were totally entitled to do considering what you'd just been through, and I was being pigheaded and stupid. I wasn't just being nice to you all those months. I love you. I think I fell in love with you the day you moved into our house." Having sixty-three days to think about what he was going to say if and when Pan came back to him, Trunks decided that he loved Pan enough, loved Goku Jr. enough, to risk everything, including his self-respect.

Pan's face turned pink under Trunks' hand, but she said nothing. Trunks' words hovered in the air between them. For a long minute, they stood there, avoiding each other's eyes, Trunks' wet hair dripping on Pan's sneakers.

"Don't you have anything to say about that?" Trunks finally asked. It was so liberating to finally get the words out, even if Pan had fallen for some square-jawed guy while she was away and wasn't interested in the preppy rich boy. Whatever happened next, he needed to know how she really felt. "Did you ever feel that way about me, even for a little while?"

Pan nodded, her eyes glassy with tears.

"And now? How do you feel about me right now?" Trunks asked. Before she could answer, he cradled her face in his hands, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. "Tell me," he whispered. His mouth was inches from hers, and before he could find her lips, Pan reached up and kissed him. Her tears were warm on his cheek, and he could feel her pulse quickening under his hands. Pulling away from her reluctantly, he said, "Does that mean you still…."

"I love you, too. I always have, but I didn't want to ruin your perfect life. I didn't want you to love me because you knew my parents didn't love me anymore and I was alone, or that I was some lost lamb who couldn't fend for herself." Pan sat down on the floor and Trunks knelt in front of her.

"That's not why I love you, Pan. I know you don't_ need_ me to take care of you, but I _want_ to. There's a huge difference. I want to be the man you deserve, the father Goku deserves. I want to be a part of your lives because_ I_ need you."

"And I _need_ you, too. You make me feel like _me_, like the person I _want_ to be, and when I was away, it wasn't the same," Pan said. "I don't want to be away from you anymore."

"So don't leave again." Pushing her back onto the floor, Trunks stretched out next to Pan and kissed her forehead, her nose, both cheeks, her chin, and finally her lips. "It's so long," he said, running his fingers through her long locks of hair.

"I let it grow out, is it bad?"

"No, I like it," Trunks whispered into Pan's ear. "I didn't think you were coming back to me, but my mom said I just had to patient."

"Your mom's the smartest woman I've ever met." Pan suddenly sat up. "I should tell her I'm back. We have to tell her about Orange Star University. She'll be so excited."

"She dragged my Dad into going shopping with her and I having a feeling she already knows." Trunks laughed and kissed Pan again.

From the opening at the door, Goten and Bra had watched everything and were now sharing a smile as they left the couple to their moment together. "Well, Goku. It looks like you're getting a daddy after all." Goten smiled at his nephew who was sucking on his shirt.

"All I gotta say is, finally." Bra smirked and ruffled Goku Jr.'s hair. He was going to be her nephew after all.

* * *

A car pulled up the Briefs driveway, the person turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath He and his companion got out of the car and started walking towards the front door.

"I can't do this, Gohan," Videl said taking a step back, "What if she doesn't want to forgive us? What if she hates us?"

"The least we have to do is try Videl, if she doesn't want to forgive us; we can't really blame her, can we? Pan's already apologized to us a million times. Now it's our turn." Gohan took his wife's hand and lead her to the Briefs front door. Taking another deep breath, with his heart ponding in his chest, Gohan rang the doorbell.

They heard someone approaching the door and Bulma opened the door and almost stumbled backwards when she saw who it was. "Gohan, Videl, what a surprise." The day had certainly been full of surprises, first coming back home to find out Pan and Goku Jr. were back and now, Gohan and Videl were at her doorstep. Maybe her son's talk with Gohan had worked its magic after all? Bulma had thought.

"Hi, Bulma. Is Pan home? We need to talk to her." Gohan cleared his throat and waited for Bulma's answer.

Bulma couldn't stop blinking; hoping that this was really true and Pan and her parents were finally going reconcile their differences. "She in the back with, Trunks, Goten, and Bra. Would you like me to go get her?"

"No, I think it would be best if we went to her," Gohan said and Bulma invited them in leading them to the back.

"Good luck, you two." Bulma gave them a reassuring smile and left the couple at the back door and went back to planning Pan's and Goku Jr.'s homecoming party.

Gohan and Videl watch the four teenagers playing on the grass with a baby who looked just like Goku as a child. Videl bit on her bottom lip to keep from crying, that baby was really her grandson, her own flesh and blood that she was so selfishly going to snuff out more than nine months ago. Gohan was having the same similar feelings as Videl at seeing Goku Jr. All the guilt was overwhelming. It was clear as day to him that they had been in the wrong all along.

Pan lifted Goku Jr. in the air and catching him, making him laugh exactly. "Wii…Wii…Wii…" Pan giggled as her son enjoyed the rush of flying.

Trunks was the one to notice Gohan and Videl at the doorway and tapped on Pan's shoulder, getting her attention, "Somebody's here to see you, Pan," Trunks whisper and motioned for her to look over at the doorway.

When Pan saw her parents so many things flooded her mind at once. A small part of her was feeling resent towards them and thought maybe she should just give them the cold shoulder as they did to her for the past year. But a bigger part of her was glad to see them, and was ready to repair their broken relationship. She was ready to forgive them and fall into their embrace as father, mother and daughter. With tears welling up in her eyes, she handed Goku to Trunks and made her way over to her parents.

Gohan and Videl met her half way; they were holding back their own tears as well. "There isn't anything we can say, that can tell you how deeply sorry we are, Pan," Gohan said before taking a deep breath and continuing, "You were right, and we were being selfish and complete idiots and not thinking what you were going through. We are so sorry for the way we treated you and saying all those hurtful words. I know there's not really anyway to make up for it and we'll understand if you never want to speak to us again. But we just wanted you to know how sorry we are for everything." Gohan let his tears flow freely, he knew he had no right ask for his daughter's forgiveness but he truly hoped she would forgive them and bring their family back together.

"You said some very hurtful things, things a parent should never tell their child." Pan looked at the ground, knowing if she looked up at her father's face, she would choke on her tears. "It's going to take some time to fully get over everything, dad."

"I know, we can take it slow. One day at a time, whatever it take. I just want to have you back, Pan. I want my little girl back."

Pan looked up at her father and seeing the tears in his eyes and it broke her heart and she attacked him in a hug braking down into tears, "Daddy I missed you so much. I want you back too."

Trunks, Goten, and Bra watched the reconciliation taking place with smiles on their faces. It really was true, miracles did happen every day. And then seeing Videl and Pan burst into tears and embrace each other and Videl telling Pan how truly sorry she was the best thing to wittiness.

That was the beginning of Gohan, Videl, and Pan's start as a new family.

**That was so beautiful; I just love moments like that. One more chapter and this story's done. **


End file.
